California Fire San Mateo - Santa Cruz Unit/X
- A kite surfer stranded on a remote beach in California found a novel way to call for aid.
- The man used rocks to spell out the word "HELP" on the sand.
- It caught the eye of a private helicopter operator, who then called 911.
A kite surfer stranded on a narrow beach in California found a novel way to call for aid.
Surrounded by tall cliffs and a rising tide on the beach south of Davenport Landing, he laid out rocks on the sand to spell out a large "HELP," per an X post by the Santa Cruz unit of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection on Sunday.
A private helicopter spotted the sign and alerted the authorities.
A rescue helicopter was later dispatched to the location and airlifted the kite surfer out, according to the video posted by the department.
A kite surfer was rescued off a beach south of Davenport Landing after being stranded. He used rocks on the beach to spell out the word “HELP.” He was spotted by a private helicopter who then called for well, help! #CaWx @sccounty (MORE ⬇️) #California pic.twitter.com/wpUbTDlis6
— CAL FIRE CZU (@CALFIRECZU) June 10, 2024
The kite surfer started from Davenport Landing Beach but was swept down the coastline, where he was stranded, NBC Bay Area reported.
"It is an extremely beautiful place to work and live," Cal Fire Capt. Skylar Merritt told NBC Bay Area. "That being said, it can lull people into a false sense of security around those cliffs. Those beaches are notorious for strong winds, rip tides, and cold water."
A similar rescue operation happened in April when the US military rescued three mariners stranded on a Pacific island for more than a week.
They used palm leaves to write "HELP" on the beach in Pikelot Atoll, a small island part of the Federated States of Micronesia.
They were spotted by a US reconnaissance aircraft and rescued on April 9.
Cal Fire did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider sent outside regular working hours.