Kinghorn lifeboat crew have issued a warning after being called out following reports of a distress flare later found to have been set off without good reason.
The volunteer RNLI team was called out around midnight on Saturday following multiple reports of a red flare in the Dysart area.
The lifeboat was requested to undertake an inshore search from Kinghorn to West Wemyss, and then back to Dysart harbour.
Lifeboat helm, Leanne Taylor, said: ‘We were tasked to search from Kinghorn north-eastwards to West Wemyss.
“Using a searchlight and a night-vision scope, we searched for possible vessels in distress.
“Coastguard rescue teams from Kinghorn, Leven, and St Andrews undertook a shoreline search, including all harbour areas for vessels ashore, or evidence of a flare being fired.
“Our search took almost three hours and following a comprehensive search, and further consultation with first informants, it was concluded that the flare had been set off from land.
“We would remind people that the firing of red distress flares, when no genuine emergency exists, is illegal under the Merchant Shipping Act.
“Flares can also be very dangerous if safety precautions are not taken.
‘If you have unwanted or expired distress flares, these can be disposed of via approved disposal facilities or sites, which vary by locality’
The Kinghorn lifeboat crew that attended was Leanne Taylor, Neil Chalmers, Suzanne Baillie, and John Ketchin.
