Girvan Lifeboat Launched to Jetski in difficulty

Girvan's volunteer crew were paged this afternoon around 15:56 Saturday 30th December, reports received by the coastguard via 999 call was that an overturned jetski had been spotted near Lendalfoot, with HM Coastguard Girvan CRT heading to scene and Ballantrae Coastguard Rescue Team on scene shoreside, Girvan lifeboat made best speed South towards Lendalfoot.

On nearing the reported location our crew went on deck on lookout duty trying to spot a needle in a haystack with the fading light, after a few minutes in the distance we spotted the object that uncannily enough did indeed look to be the exact shape of the front of a sunken jet ski bobbing out of the water, and we could see exactly why it was reported as such from shoreside.

As we came closer to the object and confirmed with CRT teams this was the exact location reported, we confirmed it was a huge limb from a tree with the end bobbing out of the water, and to be fair looked exactly as described from a distance, the nose of a half sunken jet ski.

With no jetski involved and no persons in difficulty, and the tree not a danger to shipping, our crew stood down and returned to station, where the boat was made ready for the next service call.

Despite the call being deemed a false alarm with good intent, like our colleagues at H.M. Coastguard, we would always rather that if you see or believe someone to be in trouble at sea or along our coast, dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard, we would much rather be called out and the situation investigated thoroughly as not be called at all.

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