THE IRISH COAST Guard yesterday retrieved an inflatable object off the coast of Portmarnock beach in Dublin after false reports of a missing child.
The inflatable toy, a plastic pink flamingo, had nobody on board.
On Sunday at around 3pm the Coast Guard Marine Rescue Coordination Centre in Dublin received a report of a missing child on an inflatable that was 400 metres offshore at Portmarnock Beach.
The Dublin-based Coast Guard Helicopter R116 and the Howth Coast Guard Unit were tasked to the area. An Garda Síochana was also notified of the report.
An all-stations call was also transmitted, and a motorboat responded and recovered the inflatable.
After a comprehensive search it was established that the report of a missing child was false, and all units returned to base.
The Howth Coast Guard Unit said: “We would remind people not to bring inflatable toys to the seaside, as seen today they can drift very quickly away from the beach with an off shore wind.”
Anyone with sea safety concerns can contact the Irish Coast Guard at 999 or 112.
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