Following the release of a video on social media, law enforcement in Oregon were trying to identify the individuals seen toppling a historic natural formation on the coast called the “pedestal.”
The sandstone structure that was formed over hundreds of years from wind and water erosion was destroyed in an instant by two young people seen on video pushing the much-loved landmark known as the pedestal.
Initially Oregon Parks officials reported that the formation has fallen over as a result of natural forces. That was until a video surfaced on Twitter by David Kalas who caught the crime on camera. Kalas, who shot the video using an aerial drone, told the Oregonian that when he confronted the group about destroying the rock, they told them a friend had broken their leg on it, saying it was a “safety hazard.”
#RIP #PACIFICCITY #ROCK pic.twitter.com/WfcgrU1yJR
— David Kalas (@DavidKalas) August 30, 2016
“The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, in cooperation with the Oregon State Police, will review the incident immediately and decide how best to respond,” the agency said in a statement. “The department takes vandalism of a state park’s natural features seriously.”
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The landmark was located within Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area and requires that you descend down a steep and slippery sandstone bluff, which have accounted for six deaths over the past two years. There is also a fence and a sign that clearly states not to go down there.
Despite the risks, the pedestal or the duckbill as it’s sometimes known at Cape Kiwanda has become the subject of considerable attraction over the years with many people posing for photos atop it’s dramatic overlook.
This is not the first time authorities have sought vandals of natural formation. Earlier this year, vandals scarred a landmark at Arches National Park, someone tagged their names at the Grand Canyon and an actress was fined for documenting her love into a natural landmark in Sedona.
