Stranded Tourists Saved by Drone After Tide Traps Group at Lost Boy Beach

Three tourists ended up stranded for five hours on Wednesday, Sept. 16, after a rising tide sealed them off at Lost Boy Beach in Tillamook County. The unnamed group stood on a shrinking patch of sand while water rolled in around them. They reportedly lost cell service near the bottom of the steep cliff but managed to dial 911 using an emergency satellite feature. Netarts-Oceanside Fire District answered the call and used a drone to spot the visitors spelling out a large SOS with sticks.

Chief Jeff McBrayer noted that crews could not always reach people trapped there. He explained that waiting for the tide to drop was not an option because of rough surf and sneaker waves. The tourists were already wet and cold when responders arrived. Rescuers hugged the remaining shoreline while secured to ropes instead of wading through unpredictable water. Once they reached the group, staff provided life vests and clipped the people to safety lines. They guided the visitors through the surf to a secure area where they could walk out on their own.

The three hikers emerged from the ordeal with only minor bumps and bruises. Following the rescue, Chief McBrayer used the incident to warn coastal visitors about the deceptive dangers of exploring isolated coves. He told them people must ask a local or check a tide app for current conditions before going near the water. Lost Boy Beach sits on the northern Oregon coast just south of a towering basalt cliff. Its ominous name comes from a century-old legend about a young boy who drowned after being trapped by the incoming tide.

Reaching this hidden stretch of sand has remained notoriously treacherous, wedged between Short Beach to the north and Tunnel Beach to the south. Unlike neighboring Short Beach which finally received a community-built stairway of 100 steps around 2000 to stop visitors from cracking their heads on a slippery cliff face, Lost Boy Beach has never featured safe overland access. Navigating to the beach from either side is exceptionally dangerous with access only vaguely possible during rare extreme low-tide events that occur just a couple of times a year. The name has persisted for roughly 100 years functioning as a built-in enduring warning to visitors about the cove's unpredictable and deadly conditions.