Three tourists were rescued Wednesday after an incoming tide trapped them on a remote Tillamook County beach where they had gone to take a photo, according to Tillamook Fire Chief Jeff McBrayer.
The group had hiked down to Lost Boy Beach, a spot that requires visitors to descend a rough path with sharp rocks and pass through an open-ended sea cave to reach the shore, according to The Oregonian. The tourists did not realize the rising tide would cut off their only way out.
Authorities were first alerted around 3:45 p.m. after one of the stranded visitors made an emergency call via satellite, since there was no cell service at the location, McBrayer said.
Rescuers flew a drone to the area and spotted the group waiting on the last bit of dry land, where they had arranged sticks to spell out “SOS.”
A rescue crew then made its way along the shrinking shoreline to reach the trio, working through large waves and rough water, McBrayer said. The tourists, who were cold and wet, were given life vests and led out through the surf before they could walk out of the cove on their own.
All three suffered only minor bruises and were otherwise unharmed, authorities said.
McBrayer said he hopes the incident serves as a reminder for people exploring Oregon’s beaches.
“You have to ask a local or check a tide app on a phone for tide information,” McBrayer said. “Because, when people are stranded there, we may not be able to get to them.”
