Iconic rock formation toppled over by visitors in Oregon state park

An investigation is underway after video surfaced showing a group of visitors toppling an iconic sandstone pedestal in Oregon.

Located in Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area along the Oregon coast, the seven-foot-tall sandstone sculpture, nicknamed ‘Duckbill’ by locals, was found collapsed last Thursday.

Park officials originally thought the popular rock pedestal, located in a part of the park that is technically off-limits, had collapsed naturally due to erosion.

But as The Oregonian reports, it appears the destruction of this particular sandstone feature was brought on prematurely after footage surfaced showing a group of men pushing the structure over.

The since viral video was filmed by David Kalas, who was sitting on a nearby beach and noticed the group of men crowding around 'Duckbill.’

“I kind of laughed to myself,” Kalas told The Oregonian. “I thought there was no way that they could knock it down, but then I noticed that it started wobbling.”

After Kalas confronted the group about what they’d done, one of the men reportedly told him they knocked the landmark over because the formation was a “safety hazard.”

The pedestal has long been a popular photo attraction for people to pose on, and many have taken to social media with the hashtag #ripthatpnwrock to pay tribute to the since fallen landmark.

As for the vandals, the Oregon State Parks Facebook page posted Tuesday that since being made aware of the footage they’ll be teaming up with the Oregon State Police to “review the incident immediately and decide how best to respond.”

“The department takes vandalism of a state park’s natural features seriously,” they wrote.