Photo: photosbyash / iStock / Getty Images
Officials with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's San Mateo and Santa Cruz units rescued a kite surfer who ended up stranded on a beach in Santa Cruz County on Sunday (June 9).
The kite surfer used rocks to spell out "HELP" on the narrow beach strip of beach below a steep cliff. A private helicopter above Davenport Landing spotted his message and contacted authorities for assistance.
A helicopter was dispatched to the area but could not land on the beach. To reach the stranded kite surfer, a first responder jumped out of the helicopter and dropped down to the beach using a fast-roping technique. He then secured the man and pulled him back up into the helicopter.
Officials said that the man was unharmed and did not require medical attention. It is unclear how long he was stranded on the beach before his call for help was spotted.
Cal Fire posted several videos of the rescue on X.