Man stranded on remote beach uses rocks to spell out 'HELP' in sand, dramatic rescue caught on cam

In a scene right out of a movie (cue scenes from the Tom Hanks starrer Castaway), a man in the U.S. who had gone kite surfing on a remote island was left stranded on a beach. Putting his wits to the test, he spelt out the word "HELP" in sand using stones. A helicopter hovering in the area spotted the sign and alerted authorities who managed to recover the man in dramatic rescue, footage of which has now gone viral. Here's all you need to know.

How did the man end up getting stranded on a remote island?

The man used stones to spell out "help" in the sand using stones | Image: screengrab

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The unnamed and stranded kite surfer was rescued from a remote, sandy stretch of Davenport Beach in Northern California, and with no other way out he resorted to using nearby rocks to spell ¡°HELP¡± in the sand. Luck was on his side and he was eventually spotted by a passenger in a passing private helicopter, who told 911 about what he had seen. Cal Fire San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit shared the video of the unnamed surfer being hoisted to safety by a helicopter.

What happened next?

A helicopter passing by noticed the man's plea for help | Image: screengrab

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But the rescue was nothing short of dramatic, and the man's problems didn't end there. According to Reuters, the helicopter was unable to land on the beach, which is when a first responder had to climb down a rope suspended from the hovering chopper in order to retrieve the surfer. The man's name has not been mentioned in any report and it's unclear at the moment how long he was stranded but authorities did confirm that he did not need any medical attention when he was found. The New York Post reported that the operation was a joint effort between Santa Cruz and Santa Clara fire departments, Cal Fire and California State Parks.

Watch the video below

Video courtesy: ABC News

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