A kite surfer in Northern California was rescued from a remote stretch of beach with no way out after spelling “HELP” on the sand using nearby rocks.
His rescue plea — made from Davenport Beach about 25 miles southwest of San Jose — was spotted by a passenger in a passing private helicopter, who called 911 to alert authorities.
Dramatic video posted Sunday by the Cal Fire San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit shows the unnamed surfer being hoisted to safety by a helicopter.
The helicopter was unable to safely land on the beach, so a first responder was winched down from the hovering chopper to retrieve the surfer.
The kite surfer was stranded on a remote stretch of beach about 25 miles southwest of San Jose. CAL FIRE CZU
The helicopter was unable to land on the beach itself, so a rescuer was lowered on a winch line to retrieve the stranded man. CAL FIRE CZU
The kite surfer was safely returned to land after being airlifted from the remote beach. CAL FIRE CZUThe surfer did not require any medical attention — only help returning to dry land.
It is not clear how long he was stuck on the beach.
The extraction was a joint effort between Santa Cruz and Santa Clara fire departments, Cal Fire and California State Parks.
