Kauai firefighters rescued an injured woman at Kalalau who had signaled for help by scrawling “SOS” in the sand.

A pilot with Mauna Loa Helicopters spotted the message, which was accompanied by a red flag, and called police around 3 p.m. Saturday.

A helicopter team landed on the beach and were directed to an area above a set of pools about two miles away. The rescue specialists returned to the air and searched for the woman until another person waved them down and informed them that the woman was about 100 feet above a nearby stream.

The team established a landing zone nearby, located the woman and airlifted her to Waimea Canyon Park, where she was transferred to the care of waiting paramedics who then transported her to Kauai Veterans Memorial Hospital.