A kitesurfer stranded on the Santa Cruz County coast used a little ingenuity to save himself, authorities said.
Cal Fire said in a social media post Sunday that the kite surfer became stranded on a beach south of Davenport Landing. He used rocks on the beach to spell the word “HELP” and was eventually spotted by a private helicopter pilot who indeed called for help.
Crews from Cal Fire, Santa Cruz County Fire Department and California State Parks worked together to rescue the kitesurfer, using a rescue helicopter to retrieve him from the beach.
He was not injured but only needed help leaving the beach, surrounded by steep cliffs, Cal Fire said.
Cal Fire
It is not clear how long the kite surfer had been stranded.