Richest California suburb's deadly secret: How a scenic cliff with breathtaking views of Pacific has become a death trap where three have died since August
Hidden just yards from Palos Verdes Estates' multi-million-dollar homes lies a deadly secret, the Daily Mail can reveal.
It's California's richest suburb boasting an average income of more than $367,000, spectacular Pacific views, and multi-million-dollar homes.
But the coastal city of Palos Verdes Estates in LA county, has a dark secret: a deadly clifftop trail that has claimed the lives of three people since August alone.
Seen in exclusive Daily Mail photos, at first glance the cliffs appear innocuous: lush and green and backdropped by swanky homes.
But look more closely and the 300ft sheer drop to the beach below becomes clear, along with crumbling bluffs and steep trails that switchback down the cliffside.
'We usually avoid that path – there's another one that we take that's further away,' Palos Verdes resident Sheryl Diamond, who was out for a stroll with her friend Paula Daniels, told the Daily Mail.
'It's much safer. Really wide and safe.'
Like many locals, Sheryl is all too aware of the perils the clifftop path that sits in the heart of Palos Verdes Estates poses.
But, she says, visitors often don't realize how dangerous it can be and says there needs to be better signage in order to prevent further deaths.
At first glance, the clifftop path at Palos Verdes Estates looks serene, boasting beautiful views, and surrounded by multimillion-dollar homes
But a closer - and rather dangerous - look reveals the cliff plunges 300 feet to the rocks below - and has become the site of a growing number of fatal accidents, the Daily Mail can reveal
A general view of a multi-million-dollar luxury beach house overlooking the coast in Palos Verdes Estates, Los Angeles County
'It would be good to have a sign there that said danger or something. Because otherwise, people just don't realize.'
Since August, three bodies have been discovered lying on the pebbly beach that runs along the bottom of the cliffs surrounding Bluff Cove.
All three prompted near identical callouts to the LA Fire Department – with firefighters asked each time to come to the 1400 block of Paseo del Mar.
Known for being 'one of the most prestigious streets in the Palos Verdes Estates' according to local realtors, the stunning strip of modern mansions sits directly across the road from the cliff path and boasts spectacular views over the Pacific Ocean.
Homes on the stretch go for millions of dollars with current listings including a $9.4 million Cape Cod style six-bedroom mansion and a smaller $7.5 million Spanish style ranch home that sits directly on the clifftop.
But the area has also become the site of regular calls to the LAFD due to the frequency of horror finds on the beach below – the most recent of which came on November 18.