Shocking pictures of the moment kids are nearly crushed to death by razor sharp rocks from crumbling cliff
Huge chucks of rock nearly landed on top of 'fossil hunters' as they searched at the bottom of sea cliffs
THE dramatic moment two boys were nearly crushed by falling rocks was captured as part of a cliff collapsed over their heads.
Two young boys and a man were seen apparently fossil hunting at the base of the 60-feet-high cliffs before it crumbled.
Witnesses described hearing a loud crack before tonnes of razor sharp rocks fell and crashed on to the beach below.
Amateur photographer Andrew 'Handy' Pearson, 46, caught the drama on Sunday morning at Saltburn-on-Sea, North Yorks.
He said: "I saw two young boys and an adult near the cliff before the rock fall happened, I think they were looking for fossils among the stones.
"I walked past and thought it is worrying how close they are, when I came back that way I heard a loud cracking sound and turned around to see part of the cliff falling near to where they had been."
He grabbed his camera and took a few shots before it was all over within a few seconds.
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Debris from the base of the rocks had been scattered 20 feet away.
He then ran over to see if the people he had seen previously had been hit by collapsing rock face and once the dust settled he was relieved to spot the boys and the man further down the beach.
Mr Pearson, a plumber, said: "There is no doubt if they had stayed on the rocks where they had been before, no ifs or buts it would have been a tragedy."
He has called on the authorities to put up more safety warnings in the sea-side resort to alert visitors to the dangers of the cliffs which are 300ft at their highest point.
Dave Cocks, of Redcar RNLI, said: "Our advise for everyone is stay back from the cliffs, there is a danger of falling rocks which is aggravated by the increased rainfall we have had, people should also be aware that changing tides can trap beach goers under the cliffs which is an added danger."
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