Emergency Mayday beacon alert prompts Cromer RNLI lifeboat launch
The UK Coastguard alerted Cromer’s all weather lifeboat crew just before midday on Tuesday 8 August that a beacon sounding a Mayday distress signal had been picked up.
The all-weather lifeboat launched at 11.50am - the sounding of a Mayday call always results in the RNLI sending a lifeboat to investigate the circumstances, as it usually means there is an imminent risk of loss of life.
The coordinates of the beacon appeared to come from the Happisburgh Sands, a notorious area for shipwrecks in the past.
Once on scene, the beacon was found to be one that had been abandoned for some time and there was no reason for it to have triggered the alarm.
Richard Leeds, Lifeboat Operations Manager at Crom,er RNLI Lifeboat Station, said: ‘The RNLI will always launch to an emergency beacon sounding, whatever the circumstances and outcome. We are always ready to assist those who need help. Thankfully, on this occasion, there was no emergency and no-one at risk.'
By 1pm, Cromer RNLI lifeboat had returned to the boathouse, been rehoused and made ready for her next launch.
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