LOST Adrift [Updated]

SPOILER ALERT! As we draw nearer to the Season 4 finale, the “LOST” production crew is bringing the story ever closer to the pivotal moment when the Oceanic Six get off the island. To tell that story, they headed way out to Wai’anae, the arid, rural west coast of O’ahu. They established a base camp at Wai’anae Regional Park, and enlisted a handful of boats to carry equipment and crew across Pokai Bay.

The cast and their stand-ins took their direction on shore, then made their way into the ocean to film their scene. It was relatively simple in the narrative sense, but working on the water always makes things exponentially more complicated. Crewmembers had to keep a handle on a surfboard-riding director, handheld cameras and cameramen buffeted by the surf, a sound boat rocking on the waves, and keeping props from floating away. The primary prop? A large, octagonal life raft.

Action is called, and the stars get wet. Jorge Garcia, Yunjun Kim, Matthew Fox, Evangeline Lilly, Naveen Andrews and Josh Holloway Henry Ian Cusick swim toward the raft through some debris. In several takes, Hurley — clutching a doll that’s most likely playing Aaron — helps pull Kate, Sun, and Sayid aboard. But Jack and Sawyer Desmond take a little longer to reach them. And Sawyer Desmond is holding someone who’s not moving.

Who is in trouble? Exactly how did the Oceanic Six (plus one) end up in the water? Where are they? And how do they get from here to Hawaii? The answers will come soon enough!

See the full set of photos at Flickr.

UPDATE: Turns out the guy in blue I thought was Josh Holloway was in fact Henry Ian Cusick’s stand-in. Special thanks to the spoilerhounds at Fishbiscuit.com, who obviously know their hunks better than I!