Something strange is going on along the cliffs of Palos Verdes Estates. It is not ghosts or cover-ups, but the facts are unsettling. Since late 2024, several bodies have been found below these cliffs, right near multimillion-dollar homes with ocean views. People want answers. Are these accidents? Suicides? Something darker?
The most recent discovery happened on October 30, 2025. A man’s body turned up on the rocky shore by Paseo Del Mar. Just two months earlier, on August 30, another body was found in the exact same stretch. Both times, police said there was no sign of foul play. No weapons, no trauma, no evidence of crime. But two bodies in two months? That is enough to make anyone look twice.
The Pattern Only Keeps Growing
This isn’t new. The pattern started back in November 2024. A skull and bones washed up on Rat Beach during low tide. Then came Christmas Day. A partial leg appeared, and more body parts followed the next day. Through DNA, investigators linked some of these remains to missing people, most with a known history or medical condition.
Guardian / One of the victims, Mark Paulson, vanished in 2021 during a boating trip. Another, Raymond Simeroth, had health problems and had been missing.
The third, Zhaoliang Tang, was a fisherman who went out to sea and never returned. All of them had tragic ends. Still, none of these cases were ruled homicides.
But this is Palos Verdes Estates. This isn’t some remote cliff in the wilderness. These cliffs are but a few steps from high-end homes, lush lawns, and private schools. The setting makes it all feel more mysterious, like something is being kept quiet. That mystery has drawn attention, but the real explanation might be right under our feet.
The cliffs themselves are part of the story. They are not just pretty backdrops for luxury listings. They are risky, unstable, and totally unforgiving. Rescue teams say the ground crumbles without warning. There is no fence in most areas, and no signs telling people to stay back. A misstep can be fatal.
There’s a Long History of Close Calls
From 2010 through 2015, authorities handled 31 emergencies along these cliffs—rescues, fatal falls, and suicide calls included. In 2022, four more people fell, and one died. The cliffs look peaceful, but they’re not forgiving. Fire Captain Wade Kelsey has warned they are “very unstable, very dangerous.”
Still, visitors wander right up to the rim every day, whether for a photo, the ocean breeze, or the thrill of the overlook.
The News / People have pushed for safer barriers, but nothing sticks. Some argue fences spoil the scenery; others say common sense should be enough.
Despite the debates, the accidents continue. And when they do, theories fly—but the reality is usually straightforward: the landscape doesn’t care about the price of nearby homes.
Cliff Tragedies Aren’t Just a California Thing
This isn’t unique to Palos Verdes. Dangerous cliffs worldwide take lives every year. In May 2024, 20-year-old student Roxan Bastaens fell while walking along Ireland’s Cliffs of Moher. Rain made the trail slippery, and she couldn’t keep her balance. The coroner noted that similar accidents happen there annually.
The same pattern is evident in places renowned for cliff diving and climbing. In August 2025, a man jumped off a cliff into the ocean in Kauai and never resurfaced. The water looked calm, but wasn’t. That same month, a skilled climber, Balin Miller, fell while rappelling down El Capitan in Yosemite. He was 23, strong, and experienced, yet the mountain still won.