Beaumaris Lifeboat launched in near gale conditions after hoax call

Just prior to the Met. Office yellow alert for strong winds for the area coming into effect, the Beaumaris lifeboat volunteers received a page request to launch at 10.53 pm from the UK Coastguard at Holyhead following reports of two red rocket flares being sighted.

The all-volunteer crew of the Beaumaris Inshore Atlantic 85 Lifeboat Annette Mary Liddington launched the lifeboat at 11.05 pm proceeding to sea in moderate sea conditions with winds force six gusting seven in poor visibility, to commence a search an area of the Menai Straits between Menai Bridge and Beaumaris, this being the believed location that the flares had originated from.

A search between Beaumaris and Penmon was also included.

In addition to the lifeboat at sea, a shoreline search was conducted by members of the Bangor and Penmon Mobile Coastguard Rescue Teams.

Despite an extensive search using radar, searchlights and night vision equipment nothing was found.

Fortunately the Bangor Mobile Coastguard Rescue Team managed to pinpoint the flares launch site as being in the village of Llandegfan and not from the sea.

Once this had been established the UK Coastguard at Holyhead instructed the lifeboat to return to station forthwith in view of the deteriorating weather conditions.

The lifeboat returned to her station at 12.30 am being rehoused, refuelled and prepared for her next service by 1.05 am.