Troon RNLI launches to a possible person in the water at Ardrossan

The crew responded and launched RNLI Trent class all-weather lifeboat RNLB Jim Moffat to assist Ardrossan and Largs Coastguard Rescue Teams who had also been tasked.

On arrival at Ardrossan harbour, the lifeboat crew spoke with the coastguard teams and Police in attendance, and established that this callout was a false alarm with the object sighted being a black fishing float which was located between the harbour entrance and the breakwater.

With this information, the lifeboat returned to Troon and was made ‘ready for service’.

The initial details of this callout were reported to Police Scotland using the 'Contact Us' form on the Police Scotland website. This is a non emergency online form that can be used to get in touch with Police Scotland for issues of a non-serious nature.

Troon lifeboat Coxswain Joe Millar said following the callout, ‘Thankfully this incident was a false alarm and not a person in the water as any delay to notifying the Coastguard could have made a difference to the outcome. This should have been a call to the Coastguard and not an email to the Police.’

‘If you see anyone in difficulty, or you think you see someone in difficulty, at sea or along the coast, please contact the Coastguard via 999.'

RNLI Media contacts:

Andrew Limond, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer, Troon Lifeboat Station, 01292 314414 [email protected]

Gemma McDonald, RNLI Regional Media Manager for Scotland, 01738 642956, 07826 900639, [email protected]

Martin Macnamara, RNLI Regional Media Officer for Scotland, 01738 642986, 07920 365929, [email protected]T

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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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