Safety in Question after Deadly Cliff Fall

Graduate student Anna Bachman, 25, died after falling off Sunset Cliffs

Sunset draws a nightly pilgrimage of San Diego residents and tourists to Sunset Cliffs.

“The view here is amazing, especially on warm sunny days,” visitor Les Roth said.

“It's awesome. There is nothing like it in San Diego,” visitor Sean Miller said.

But the picturesque view cost Anna Bachman, 25, her life. Investigators say on Sunday, the graduate student who grew up in the Bay Area was posing for a picture near the stairs to the beach when she fell 40 to 50 feet and died. 

Accidents are common at the cliffs. One motorist drove right over the edge last July. A hiker injured his legs and back after slipping down the rocks last March.

There are several warnings about the unstable coastline, but very few fences or barricaded areas.

On Monday night, City Hall discussed the possibility of limiting access to the cliffs. Spokesperson Katie Keach told NBC 7 that staff is reviewing the signage and fencing along Sunset Cliffs to make sure it is appropriate.

Les Roth doesn’t think more fencing is the answer.

“You can put a lot of money into things to make them safer, but you're always going to have that one person that goes outside the chain,” Roth said.

“They just have to be observant. They can't be worried about their cell phones. They need to be wearing good secure shoes,” he added.

Bachman is from Cotati in Sonoma County but was working on her master’s degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She was in San Diego visiting her sister, who was with her at the time of the fall.

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