A discarded giant inflatable champagne bottle caused so much confusion it led to a false alarm coastguard callout and multiple 999 calls.
Whitehaven Coastguard Rescue Team received a report of concern for a floating object spotted in the water close to the shore at Shore Road, Salterbeck, Workington.
Team members donned the appropriate water rescue equipment, so they were able to conduct a snatch rescue in case the object turned out to be a person in the water.
But before they arrived at the scene the informant called back to say the item had washed ashore and was actually a large inflatable champagne bottle which they recovered.
Just moments later, a number of further 999 calls were received reporting that a person had been pulled from the water in the Salterbeck area and that CPR was in progress.
The team were unable to make contact again with the first informant when the new information came to light, so the crew arrived at the scene and set off on foot with medical equipment and a defibrillator.
The Coastguard co-ordination centre arranged for additional assistance from the North West Ambulance Service and Cumbria police to assist the Coastguard on scene.
Crew members were searching around in the reported location to no avail when their officer in charge managed to speak with the first informant at their address and then liaised with other agencies arriving on scene.
Eventually the team discovered that the first informant was pressing down and deflating the large inflatable champagne bottle on the beach – which is what had been witnessed by others who had made 999 callls reporting CPR was in progress.
A Coastguard spokesman said: “With this welcome news that there were no casualties, all assets were stood down and released.
“Whilst some may perceive this was a waste of resources, we want to stress that all informants done exactly the right thing in reporting their concerns via 999 Coastguard. On a future occasion, these actions may just save a life.
“With the tide more than halfway out and the waterline a considerable distance away from those who sighted this, we fully appreciate that this could have looked like someone performing CPR.
“We would much rather the Coastguard co-ordination centre be informed on 999 to task and coordinate the appropriate assets to attend, finding it’s a false alarm with good intent, than it not be reported, and someone was in need.”
