Thrill seekers love Sunset Cliffs. But with rescues on the rise, cliff jumping at ‘The Arch’ faces an uncertain future

Source: timesofsandiego.com · Published: 2026-08-01

<figure><img width="1024" height="682" src="https://i0.wp.com/timesofsandiego.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Thomas-Murphy-Cliff-Jumpers-1.jpg?fit=1024%2C682&amp;ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/timesofsandiego.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Thomas-Murphy-Cliff-Jumpers-1.jpg?w=1700&amp;ssl=1 1700w, https://i0.wp.com/timesofsandiego.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Thomas-Murphy-Cliff-Jumpers-1.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/timesofsandiego.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Thomas-Murphy-Cliff-Jumpers-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/timesofsandiego.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Thomas-Murphy-Cliff-Jumpers-1.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/timesofsandiego.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Thomas-Murphy-Cliff-Jumpers-1.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/timesofsandiego.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Thomas-Murphy-Cliff-Jumpers-1.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/timesofsandiego.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Thomas-Murphy-Cliff-Jumpers-1.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/timesofsandiego.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Thomas-Murphy-Cliff-Jumpers-1.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/timesofsandiego.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Thomas-Murphy-Cliff-Jumpers-1.jpg?fit=1024%2C682&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" /></figure>The Sunset Cliffs tradition may be illegal, but that hasn't stopped divers. Recent rescues have drawn renewed attention to the escapade.