Tourists head to isolated Oregon beach for a dramatic photo, then rising tide traps them as they spell ‘SOS’ with sticks
A satellite 911 call and an SOS spelled with sticks helped rescuers locate the stranded trio.
Three tourists headed to Oregon’s remote Lost Boy Beach hoping to take a dramatic photo, only for the rising tide to turn their photoshoot into a rescue mission. Their route back disappeared beneath the water, leaving them stranded on an increasingly small patch of shoreline with no cell service. Suddenly, the name “Lost Boy Beach” makes a lot of sense.
The group had reached the secluded beach in Tillamook County on Wednesday when the incoming tide cut off the way they had used to get there. Lost Boy Beach is difficult to access even under ordinary conditions, requiring visitors to navigate a rocky trail and pass through a sea cave before reaching the shoreline.
According to People.com, Tillamook Fire Chief Jeff McBrayer said the tourists did not realize the tide would eventually block their route back. By around 3:45 p.m., their attempt to capture a striking beach photo had triggered an emergency response.
Their phone had no service, but it did have a satellite connection
Visiting an isolated beach is less cinematic once the only available exit is underwater. With no cellular service, one member of the group was able to use a satellite connection to call 911 and alert authorities to their location.
Rescuers deployed a drone over the area and soon spotted all three tourists huddled together on the last patch of land that remained above the rising water. Just in case their location wasn’t obvious enough from above, the group had arranged sticks along the shoreline to spell out “SOS.”
The improvised distress signal was certainly old-school, but the satellite call and drone were a means to a modern rescue that can typically only be seen on the silver screen. More importantly, the combination of vintage and advanced distress signals worked, giving rescuers a way to find the tourists before the tide could claim what little dry ground they had left.
It wasn’t the first time stranded tourists had to get creative with an SOS. Earlier this year, two tourists stranded on an ice floe spelled the distress signal with ice blocks after losing their emergency beacon.
McBrayer said knowing the tides is particularly important at Lost Boy Beach because its remote location can make rescues difficult. Visitors may need to ask someone familiar with the area or check a tide app before heading down to the shoreline.
Authorities found the lost tourists
By the time emergency crews reached the tourists, all three were cold and wet but had not developed hypothermia. They had sustained some bruising, but authorities said they were otherwise unharmed.
Getting them out still required navigating the same water that had trapped them. Rescuers equipped the group with life vests and helped them wade through rough waves until they could safely leave the cove. Others stranded on the water have faced considerably longer waits for help, including two fishermen who survived five days in the Pacific by staying afloat in a fishing cooler until rescuers found them. As for the tourists of Lost Boy Beach, they are likely glad to have been found before any makeshift flotation devices were required.
McBrayer said he hopes the incident encourages other visitors to exercise more caution while exploring Oregon’s beaches. The trio ultimately got out safely, but their experience offered a particularly convincing reason to check the tide before venturing onto an isolated stretch of coastline.
They went looking for a dramatic beach photo and certainly found a dramatic setting. Unfortunately, the tide turned, and their photoshoot became a rescue mission. The good news is that no boys (or girls) were lost during the ordeal.
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