It took hours and several more calls, including one to the NOAA West Coast stranding line, before a combination of back-channel coordination and a direct assist from Harbor Patrol finally bridged the communication gap. By the time the volunteer arrived, Michael and I had been on-site for hours. We were unshowered, caffeineless, and acting as a human barrier between the sick pups and the weekend crowds. After the handoff, I finally headed home to decompress, but the quiet did not last long. I went back to the harbor later that afternoon to check on the site and found the beach empty. There were only fresh footprints leading away from where the pups had been, which was a welcome sign that the rescue was successful.