A kite surfer was saved from a California beach over the weekend after he used rocks to spell out the word “HELP.” The message was spotted by a private helicopter and relayed to authorities.

After leaving Davenport Landing in the same-named California town, the surfer got trapped on a beach to the south. He then made his message out of the available rocks, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) posted on X.

The winds were blowing fiercely Sunday, and pushed the surfer to the cliffside beach.

“It was actually very windy out as well, probably 25-plus MPH wind,” Cal Fire Capt. Sean Ketchum told San Francisco NBC affiliate KNTV-TV.

The message was seen just a few hours after the surfer landed on the beach, Cal Fire Capt. Skylar Merritt told the Los Angeles Times.

“At the very least, the helicopter that spotted him made it much quicker, where he didn’t have to worry about hypothermia or dehydration,” Capt. Merritt said.

State fire officials and the Santa Cruz County Fire Department dispatched personnel and a helicopter to airlift the stranded man, as seen in clips posted by Cal Fire on X.

Authorities did not name the rescued surfer. He did not need any medical attention, just transportation off of the beach, Cal Fire said.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.