SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — As visitors wandered up to the Ocean Beach Pier on Thursday afternoon, many were disappointed to see the iconic spot blocked off.
The gate is shackled in chains and several locks, but one man says it has not always been that way within the last couple of months after San Diego Lifeguards closed the pier.
"They were cutting this lock," said Jim Grant, as he described a scene he says he saw at the pier several weeks ago.
Grant says the gate was wide open, after someone cut the lock and used another lock to attach it to the side of the pier so it would stay open.
He says dozens of people were on the supposedly closed pier, despite damage that a storm in January caused remaining a hazard.
A spokesperson for San Diego Lifeguards says they are aware of the problem and if anyone is caught on the pier, they will be reported to San Diego Police.
San Diego Parks and Recreation is in charge of replacing the locks. It says it has replaced the lock once since January 7 and twice total in the last six months.
“I just hope that we can get these repairs done, the city can get the repairs done quickly, so it can get opened back up," said Grant about the pier.
A spokesperson for the city of San Diego provided 10News with a statement regarding the status of repairing the pier:
The Ocean Beach Pier remains closed after suffering damage during storms and high surf in January. The pier will remain closed until the damage can be assessed safely after the storm season has passed. Then a timeline for reopening will be determined.
