This is the heartbreaking moment two young women carelessly risk their lives by sitting on the edge of a 150ft-high cliff, just weeks after a major rockfall.
The two unidentified women could be seen arm in arm as they sat uncomfortably close to the dangerous edge of the cliff to watch the sunset.
Unbeknownst to them, the section of cliff in West Bay they are on is an outcrop that has a massive crack running down the fragile cliff face below.
It comes as a 50ft-wide section of the cliff collapsed three weeks ago, sending hundreds of tonnes of rock onto the beach.
The 180 million-year-old cliffs, which featured in the famous ITV crime drama Broadchurch, regularly suffer rockfalls, with seven recorded this year alone.
The crack, where the two unconscious women sat, suggests it could be the next part of the rock wall to collapse.
Although there are warning signs scattered around the area urging visitors to stay away from the edge, people continue to make efforts to enjoy the views.
A local who saw the duo on the edge of the cliff criticized them, joking that everyone knows “how dangerous and unstable cliffs can be.”
The two unidentified women could be seen arm in arm as they sat uncomfortably close to the dangerous cliff edge in West Bay to watch the sunset (pictured).
It comes just three weeks after a massive rockfall caused a 50ft-wide section of cliff to plummet to the beach.
The resident added: These two young women were sitting on one of the most notable outcrops.
‘It’s on a part of the cliff that looks very similar to the piece that broke off last year.
“More signs probably need to be put up on the cliff to warn people not to risk their lives.”
On October 17, hundreds of tonnes of rocks fell onto the beach at West Bay, bringing the greens at Bridport and West Dorset Golf Club treacherously close together.
Coastal erosion and extreme weather events plague the iconic cliffs, generating unpredictable rockfalls and landslides in stretches flooded with summer swimmers and year-round walkers.
Thousands of tonnes of cliffs could suddenly collapse at any moment, experts warn, burying everything in their path.
Sam Scriven, head of heritage and conservation at the Jurassic Coast Trust (JCT), which looks after the UNESCO World Heritage site, told MailOnline: “I’ve never known there have been more rockfalls and events than this last winter.
“This really took me by surprise, as almost every area has had some type of incident.”
He added: “It gives you a little pause to think about what’s coming down the road this winter or next.”
The crack, where the two unconscious women sat, suggests it could be the next part of the rock wall to collapse.
The 180 million-year-old cliff is prone to rockfalls, with hundreds of tonnes of rocks falling onto West Bay beach.
Charlotte Blackman, from Derbyshire, was crushed to death when 400 tonnes of rock suddenly collapsed from a 160ft cliff near Burton Bradstock, two miles east of West Bay beach in 2012. Her boyfriend Matthew (left) recalled “boulders the size of a haystack” that Carlota crushed. His body was found nine hours later.
Warning signs have been put up on Hive Beach, outside Burton Bradstock, urging people to “stay away from the cliffs”.
Dozens of landslides and rockfalls have hit the Jurassic Coast since 2012, when the last fatality occurred.
Charlotte Blackman, from Derbyshire, was crushed to death when 400 tonnes of rock suddenly collapsed from a 160ft cliff near Burton Bradstock, two miles east of West Bay beach in 2012.
The 22-year-old was walking on the beach with her family when the tragedy occurred.
MailOnline analysis shows that around 30 per cent of the 137 events, which the JCT says create “the beautiful coastline we see today”, occurred within this same five-mile section.
The British Geological Survey, which records landslides, said the actual number of events since 2012 may be higher as it only tracks those it has been alerted about.
Following the fury of Storm Kathleen in April, the stretch between West Bay and Burton Bradstock experienced two massive rockfalls.
Thousands of tons of rock fell from the cliff, and aerial photographs show a 50-foot pile of rubble laden with rocks the size of double-decker buses.
MailOnline has contacted Dorset Council for comment.