Missing for 12 Hours, Kayaker Spells Out 'HELP' Message on Remote Island

A kayaker found himself stuck on a remote island near Queens, New York, forced to use island resources to call for help, the NYPD said Friday.

The NYPD Aviation unit found the kayaker on a remote island in Jamaica Bay. The man had been missing for over 12 hours and used more primitive measures to catch the attention of his rescuers, the NYPD said.

The stranded kayaker was able to start a fire and spelled out "HELP" using sticks found on the island, the NYPD said.

NYPD Specials Ops tweeted out of the rescue Friday morning, including a description of the events surrounding the rescue of the kayaker.

The kayaker did not have any injuries, the department said. It was not immediately clear how the man became stranded.
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