A hoax call to the coastguard could have had far more serious consequences during a busy Easter weekend for the Kinghorn RNLI lifeboat station, the organisation has warned.
The Fife crew was called out just before 4.30pm on Monday afternoon following a 999 call reporting two children had been cut off by the tide near Portobello on the Edinburgh side of the Forth.
Volunteers at Kinghorn had been conducting a training exercise at the time and began moving south, although they were stood down about 10 minutes later when it was established by the coastguard the call had been a hoax.
However, the vital minutes wasted could have proved costly as the crew was subsequently called to a report of an inflatable, with two people on board, drifting west of Granton, and then diverted back to Portobello following concern for a speedboat.
Helm Scott McIlravie explained: “We were very disappointed to be called out following a hoax call.
“Our volunteer crew had just completed a full day of training at the lifeboat station when we were called.
>> Keep up to date with the latest news with The Courier newsletter
“Calls like this waste resources and mean we are not able to respond to real emergencies.”
The second call involved two sit down kayakers and turned out to be a false alarm with good intent, as the two people involved were found to be well-equipped and left to continue their paddle.
“It was good to see people who were well equipped for watersports with suitable clothing and buoyancy aids,” Mr McIlravie added.
“If you are taking part in watersports we would recommend that you visit the RNLI’s website where advice and guidance is available.”
While returning to Kinghorn after searching for the kayakers, the crew was sent to assist a speedboat near Portobello, although again they were stood down by the coastguard when the situation was brought under control.
The flurry of calls was part of a busy weekend for the Kinghorn RNLI lifeboat station, coming after the crew was called out on Saturday evening to aid a sailor in difficulty at Inchkeith harbour.
