Fife emergency rescue stood down after ‘person overboard’ false alarm

Emergency crews have stood down after reports of a person falling overboard from a vessel off the Fife coast were found to be a false alarm.

Both RNLI lifeboats from Anstruther station were launched after the alarm was raised shortly after 9.30am on Thursday.

It followed reports of a person having fallen overboard from a vessel in the Firth of Forth close to Pittenweem.

Report of person overboard was ‘false alarm with good intent’

An HM Coastguard spokesman said: “We received an alert at 9.42am of a person overboard and in the water close to Pittenweem.

“Both the inshore and main RNLI lifeboats from Anstruther station were launched.”

The two RNLI crews located the vessel a short time later where it was found that a rescue was not required.

An HM Coastguard spokesperson later confirmed the incident had been a false alarm.

He said: “Crews surveyed the area and found that no person was in the water so were stood down.

“Both lifeboats were returned to their station at 10.20am following what was a false alarm with good intent.”