A kite surfer was soaring through a sunny Sunday afternoon in Santa Cruz, California when the fun quickly turned into fright. The individual lost control of their kite in the wind and finally descended on a tiny bit of remote beach underneath towering cliffs. There was no way to climb out. The kite surfer's best chance at rescue was to send a distress signal that could be seen from the sky.
Smartly, the kite surfer gathered rocks to spell out "HELP" in giant letters. A private helicopter spotted the message and called emergency services.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Santa Cruz County Fire, and California State Parks located the kite surfer and eventually descended to the beach from a helicopter and hoisted the stranded surfer up and off to safety. Video below.
According to the Cal Fire account on X, "The surfer did not need medical attention, only help from the beach."
