“We need to call the coastguard,” Maria said quickly, realizing the gravity of their situation. But they hit a major snag: their phones had no signal out here, cutting off their only way to reach out for help.
Right then, they spotted an old man ambling down the beach, still a good distance away. He had a metal detector in one hand and was pulling a large cart filled with bits of driftwood and other beach finds. Maria, sensing an opportunity, began to walk back towards the shore, waving her arms in the air, trying to catch the man’s eye.