Huge section of cliff collapses into Lake Superior

A group of friends visiting Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula witnessed a 200-foot chunk of a sandstone cliff suddenly break off and collapse into the waters of Lake Superior.

Jahn Martin, who recorded this video, told Storyful that he was relaxing on a pontoon boat with three buddies after mountain biking around the area.

One of his friends spotted some debris falling from the cliff and suggested that his friend Brad Gustafson drive the boat closer to check it out. After driving the boat toward the cliff, Gustafson turned the motor off so they could hear the “cracking and popping” noises coming from the cliff face.

Within about 60 seconds, the group witnessed a massive section of the cliff face plummet into the water, about 100 yards away from their boat, according to Martin.

In the video, Martin and his friends are overheard yelling, “Back it up, Brad!” as Gustafson struggled to move the pontoon away from the shoreline.

“The sight, the sound, and the massive swell wave it created was dramatic!” Martin said.

No one was hurt, Gustafson said.