Hi. I'm helping a pal whose son Scott Fippinger was surf/camping at Chuie's near Km. 52 (by Splash) when he fell from the cliff at high tide. Hoping
that Nomads will be on the lookout... I feel compelled to mention in advance that no drugs or alcohol were involved. Just a horrible tragedy.
Gracias, y'all... Here's the info... Any info, contact any of the delegaciones, or mexicoradar@gmail.com:
American Surfer Falls from Cliff and Disappears south of Rosarito Beach.
Man falls 45 feet to the beach during high tide.
(Rosarito, Baja California Norte) -- A 20-year-old American surfer stepped out from his tent in the early morning hours of this past Wednesday and
fell from the cliff at Campo Chuie's near Km. 52. His disappearance was not discovered until the man's friends awoke after sunrise to find him
missing.
On the night of January 13th, Scott Robert Fippinger of San Diego had been camped cliff-side with three friends in two tents when it is presumed that
he woke to urinate. His friends report hearing Fippinger leave the tent, and noted seeing the light of his cellphone around 3:00 a.m.
A woman camped at a neighboring site reported hearing no sounds beyond the strong winds that made her trailer sway throughout the night. The high
tide peaked at 3:38 that morning, with waves reaching up the base of the cliff.
Around 7:00 that morning, Fippinger's broken cell phone was found by his friends on the concrete slab between the tent and the cliff's edge. Impact
marks could be seen on the dirt of the cliff's face. The high tide had receded. No marks or evidence could be found on the sandy beach below.
Fippinger's mother and father crossed the border that same day to begin the search for their missing son. They remain in the area, raising awareness
of the disappearance, and hoping desperately that their son is found.
Units from the Mexican Naval base in Ensenada were called to help with the search, as have lifeguards from the Salvavidas division of the Bomberos de
Rosarito. Both organizations are making daily sweeps along the 6 kilometer stretch of coastline between El Campito and Campo Lopez.
In similar past cases from the local area, drowning victims have resurfaced five to seven days after disappearing. With the recent ocean conditions
it is predicted that during the next two weeks, the prevailing sea current will push Fippinger toward the area of coastline between the community at
Medio Camino and the port of La Salina.
Local fisherman and coastal residents are asked to be on the lookout for the re-appearance of the victim on the surface, and for unusual seabird
activity along the shore. "My wife and I only have two sets of eyes," said Eric Fippinger, the missing man's father. "We really need our friends in
Baja to help us find our son."
The site of Scott Fippinger's disappearance, Chuie's Surf Camp, is located just south of El Campito, near the popular American restaurant Splash.
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RIP