Kite surfer rescued after spelling ‘help’ with rocks at California beach

DAVENPORT, Calif. — A kite surfer stranded on a California beach on Sunday was rescued after using rocks to spell out “help” on the sand, authorities said.

According to Cal Fire’s San Mateo-Santa Cruz unit, people riding in a private helicopter above Davenport Landing in Santa Cruz County spotted the message and contacted authorities, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

In a video posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, a helicopter rescue crew used a long line to pull the surfer from the beach to a cliff overlooking the shore.

Crews from Cal Fire, Santa Cruz County Fire Department and California State Parks teamed up to rescue the man, KPIX-TV reported.

According to officials with Cal Fire, the man was not injured but needed help getting off the beach, which was surrounded by steep cliffs, according to the television station.

It was unclear how long the kite surfer had been stranded on the beach.

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