A 28-YEAR-old man was arrested last night over a hoax call made to the Coast Guard about a person in trouble in the River Suir.

Last night, a 999 call was made to the Coast Guard at 10.30pm and the person on the line said a man had been seen jumping into the river at Rice Bridge.

“Several garda units responded to the call, two Coast Guard units, Waterford River Rescue, the fire brigade and there was a Coast Guard rescue helicopter as well,” a garda spokesperson said.

Gardaí attempted to get in touch with the caller again and after several attempts they made contact with him close to the place where he said a person had jumped. It emerged that it had been a hoax call.

The man was arrested for public order offences and a number of items were seized for examination. He has since been released without charge and a file will be send to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

A spokesperson for the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport said today that hoax calls “divert rescue resources away from possible other actual incidents”.

“They are also unfair on the responders, most of whom are volunteers and who have to leave their home and family to respond to such incidents.”

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