Video: Massive cliff collapse at Pictured Rocks stuns boaters

A massive cliff collapse reported at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore on Saturday afternoon was captured on video by a group boating near the iconic rock formations. 

The video, which was posted on UpNorthLive (WPBN-TV), shows a section of rockface fall into Lake Superior below. 

“We could hear the cliff wall popping and cracking and within 60 seconds a section of cliff approximately 200 feet wide fell before us," Jahn Martin told WLUC-TV. "The splash and swell wave were very dramatic.”

“Back up, Brad!” someone yelled as waves rolled toward the pontoon-style boat.

No injuries were reported. The park's website warns that rocks can fall at any time and shows a photo of rocks falling.

The sandstone cliffs stand 50-200 feet above the lake, and rockfalls periodically occur due to erosion, earthquakes, vegetation and water in cracks, temperature variation and extreme heat, according to the National Park Service. 

There was a similar collapse in 2019, when kayakers on a tour narrowly escaped injury when a large section of cliff crashed into Lake Superior. In 2017, hikers were warned to stay away from cliff edges because of the potential for erosion. 

Associated Press contributed.