West Kirby RNLI launched following report of a ditched microlight
West Kirby RNLI launched to provide assistance following a Mayday call at 3.01pm stating that a microlight had ditched in the Dee Estuary near to Flint.
Multiple assets were tasked by HM Coastguard including West Kirby RNLI lifeboat, Hoylake RNLI hovercraft and Flint RNLI lifeboat alongside an HM Coastguard helicopter. It was established, followed a thorough search of the area, that the object sighted was in fact a large child’s Spiderman balloon and not a microlight aircraft in difficulty and all units were stood down.
Gary Price, West Kirby RNLI Deputy Launch Authority said: ‘In this instance it was a false alarm but a call to the Coastguard had been made with good intentions. We would always encourage people to phone 999 and ask for the Coastguard should they believe that someone is in danger on the water.’Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.
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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
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