A piling from the Malibu Pier was knocked loose from the Malibu Pier on Tuesday afternoon during high surf conditions, leading California State Parks officials to close the majority of the aging structure.
Officials decided on the closure to avoid any potential safety risks to the public, said District Superintendent Craig Sap, as other pilings were knocked loose by the high surf.Â
The closure, effective around 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, stretches from the land-side Malibu Pier Restaurant and Bar, which will remain open, through the end of the pier where the Malibu Farm Cafe and a souvenir shop are located.
Sap could not estimate when the pier would be reopened but confirmed the Farm Cafe and gift shop would have to remain closed as well.
“It may be through Friday,” he said, though it will depend on when the high swells calm down.Â
Conditions were extremely rough all day Tuesday, especially near the Malibu Pier and Surfrider Beach, where a surfer drowned to death.