SAN MATEO, Calif. (AP) - A woman who walked to the edge of a cliff to enjoy the ocean view
apparently slipped and fell about 300 feet to her death.
Selena Dennison, 46, and her boyfriend, XXXXX, 53, had driven to a scenic turnout off Highway 1 near
San Gregorio State Beach around 2:20 p.m. Sunday, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff's
Department.
Dennison got out of the car and walked toward the edge of the cliff to get a better view despite XXX's
warnings not to go too far, said Lt. Steve Shively. The woman slipped and fell to a small outcropping about
30 feet from the beach, he said.
Someone who was sleeping in the turnout was awakened by XXX's cries for help and used a call box to
report the fall, Shively said.
A lifeguard tried to resuscitate Dennison, but she was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy was
scheduled to determine the exact cause of death
SAN GREGORIO A woman who walked to the edge of a cliff to enjoy the view of the ocean apparently
slipped and fell more than 200 feet to her death Sunday afternoon. According to San Mateo County
Sheriff's Lt. Steve Shively, the woman and her husband or boyfriend ” he wasn't sure of the relationship ”
had driven to a scenic turnout off Highway 1 between San Gregorio and Pomopnio state beaches. The
man's account was that the woman got out of the car and went to the cliff's edge to look at the view,
Shively said. The man said he warned her not to get too close to the edge, and she slipped, taking a long fall
to a small outcropping about 30 feet from the beach. According to Shively, someone who had been
sleeping in the turnout was awakened by the man's cries for help and used a call box to phone authorities.
"He was beside himself," Shively said of the woman's male companion, who was taken to the hospital to
talk to a counselor, Shively added. The case was being handled as a homicide, Shively said, which is
standard procedure. Asked if it looked like an accident, he said, "I don't have an appearance of anything
else that I can give right now." Sheriff's detectives and a county coroner's deputy were processing the scene
early Sunday evening, and Shively said cliff-rescue personnel were called in to recover the body. The name
of the victim was not immediately available.
Posted on Mon, Oct. 17, 2005
San Mateo woman victim of cliff fall near San Gregorio Beach
Bay City News Service
The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office today identified the victim of a fatal fall near a cliff south of San
Gregorio Beach as 46-year-old San Mateo resident Selena Dennison.
On Sunday at about 2:20 p.m. the Dennison and her boyfriend, XXXX, 53, of San Mateo, pulled their car
off the side of state Highway 1 to look at the view, the sheriff's office reported.
Dennison reportedly walked toward the edge of the cliff to get a better view, after which she slipped and
fell approximately 300 feet landing on a ledge about 30 feet from the bottom, the sheriff's office reported.
Beach goers who either heard or witnessed the fall then contacted the state parks office, the sheriff's office
reported.
A state parks lifeguard administered CPR to Dennison, but she was later pronounced dead on scene, the
sheriff's office reported.
According to San Mateo County Coroner Robert Foucrault, an autopsy will be performed this afternoon to
determine cause of death.
The sheriff's office reported that they are investigating the death, and ask that anyone with information
contact Detective Sgt. Linda Gibbons at (650) 363-4063 or Detective Gary Ramos at (650) 363-4064.
Posted: October 17, 2005 at 2:40 p.m.
SAN MATEO (AP) -- A woman who walked to the edge of a cliff to enjoy the ocean view apparently
slipped and fell about 300 feet to her death.
Selena Dennison, 46, and her boyfriend, XXX, 53, had driven to a scenic turnout off Highway 1 near San
Gregorio State Beach around 2:20 p.m. Sunday, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff's Department.
Dennison got out of the car and walked toward the edge of the cliff to get a better view despite XXX's
warnings not to go too far, said Lt. Steve Shively. The woman slipped and fell to a small outcropping about
30 feet from the beach, he said.
Someone who was sleeping in the turnout was awakened by XXX's cries for help and used a call box to
report the fall, Shively said.
A lifeguard tried to resuscitate Dennison, but she was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy was
scheduled to determine the exact cause of death.
apparently slipped and fell about 300 feet to her death.
Selena Dennison, 46, and her boyfriend, XXXXX, 53, had driven to a scenic turnout off Highway 1 near
San Gregorio State Beach around 2:20 p.m. Sunday, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff's
Department.
Dennison got out of the car and walked toward the edge of the cliff to get a better view despite XXX's
warnings not to go too far, said Lt. Steve Shively. The woman slipped and fell to a small outcropping about
30 feet from the beach, he said.
Someone who was sleeping in the turnout was awakened by XXX's cries for help and used a call box to
report the fall, Shively said.
A lifeguard tried to resuscitate Dennison, but she was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy was
scheduled to determine the exact cause of death
SAN GREGORIO A woman who walked to the edge of a cliff to enjoy the view of the ocean apparently
slipped and fell more than 200 feet to her death Sunday afternoon. According to San Mateo County
Sheriff's Lt. Steve Shively, the woman and her husband or boyfriend ” he wasn't sure of the relationship ”
had driven to a scenic turnout off Highway 1 between San Gregorio and Pomopnio state beaches. The
man's account was that the woman got out of the car and went to the cliff's edge to look at the view,
Shively said. The man said he warned her not to get too close to the edge, and she slipped, taking a long fall
to a small outcropping about 30 feet from the beach. According to Shively, someone who had been
sleeping in the turnout was awakened by the man's cries for help and used a call box to phone authorities.
"He was beside himself," Shively said of the woman's male companion, who was taken to the hospital to
talk to a counselor, Shively added. The case was being handled as a homicide, Shively said, which is
standard procedure. Asked if it looked like an accident, he said, "I don't have an appearance of anything
else that I can give right now." Sheriff's detectives and a county coroner's deputy were processing the scene
early Sunday evening, and Shively said cliff-rescue personnel were called in to recover the body. The name
of the victim was not immediately available.
Posted on Mon, Oct. 17, 2005
San Mateo woman victim of cliff fall near San Gregorio Beach
Bay City News Service
The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office today identified the victim of a fatal fall near a cliff south of San
Gregorio Beach as 46-year-old San Mateo resident Selena Dennison.
On Sunday at about 2:20 p.m. the Dennison and her boyfriend, XXXX, 53, of San Mateo, pulled their car
off the side of state Highway 1 to look at the view, the sheriff's office reported.
Dennison reportedly walked toward the edge of the cliff to get a better view, after which she slipped and
fell approximately 300 feet landing on a ledge about 30 feet from the bottom, the sheriff's office reported.
Beach goers who either heard or witnessed the fall then contacted the state parks office, the sheriff's office
reported.
A state parks lifeguard administered CPR to Dennison, but she was later pronounced dead on scene, the
sheriff's office reported.
According to San Mateo County Coroner Robert Foucrault, an autopsy will be performed this afternoon to
determine cause of death.
The sheriff's office reported that they are investigating the death, and ask that anyone with information
contact Detective Sgt. Linda Gibbons at (650) 363-4063 or Detective Gary Ramos at (650) 363-4064.
Posted: October 17, 2005 at 2:40 p.m.
SAN MATEO (AP) -- A woman who walked to the edge of a cliff to enjoy the ocean view apparently
slipped and fell about 300 feet to her death.
Selena Dennison, 46, and her boyfriend, XXX, 53, had driven to a scenic turnout off Highway 1 near San
Gregorio State Beach around 2:20 p.m. Sunday, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff's Department.
Dennison got out of the car and walked toward the edge of the cliff to get a better view despite XXX's
warnings not to go too far, said Lt. Steve Shively. The woman slipped and fell to a small outcropping about
30 feet from the beach, he said.
Someone who was sleeping in the turnout was awakened by XXX's cries for help and used a call box to
report the fall, Shively said.
A lifeguard tried to resuscitate Dennison, but she was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy was
scheduled to determine the exact cause of death.
| Your donations help keep this site up and running... Thank you for your support |
| March 23, 2010: The name of our dear friends boyfriend has been removed due to his threat of a law suit. This information is a matter of public record. |