Two hikers were rescued in dramatic fashion after becoming stranded on a remote California beach due to rising tides that trapped their exit.
Sonoma County Sheriff's Office shared a video of the helicopter rescue, which you can watch below, and says the hikers were on a beach near Elephant Rock in Point Reyes National Seashore when they discovered they had "no safe access by land or sea."
The short video shows rescuers landing at the top of the cliff to rig up a hoist before lowering one team member down onto the small strip of rocky beach not submerged in water. The hikers are then evacuated together with the rescue crew member, with SCSO calling the response "a great example of multi-agency coordination and skilled execution."
Point Reyes National Seashore comprises a peninsula in Marin County with 80 miles of shoreline, wild beaches and rocky headlands. It serves as an important wildlife reserve for grazing elk and raptors as well as marine life like whales and seals.
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How to read a tide chart
If you've ever been to the beach in coastal areas that see plenty of tidal variation, you'll know how quickly the tide can come in. At best, it can have you quickly grabbing all of your stuff and heading up to drier land. In the worst-case scenario, it can cut you off, placing you in a potentially dangerous situation. This is why knowing how to read a tide chart is essential, whether you're hiking a coastal path, surfing, swimming, or looking to access a sea-cliff climb.
Tide charts indicate the times of low and high tides for a specific area on specific dates. They tell you when low tide will be, when high tide will be, and how low and high the water will be. It’s important to know that tides can be vastly different from one location to another, so you’ll want the specific tide table for the area where you’re going. Tide tables are often posted at the beach, and you can find them online.
It’s worth knowing that all tide tables are slightly different, but generally speaking, once you have the tide table for where you’re going, there are three important pieces of information to pay attention to: date, time and tide height. If you're going to be hiking or recreating in a coastal area where there's no easy exit, read our article on how to read a tide chart before you.
