Lengthy search for coastguard, lifeboat after flare sighting

Tue, 17 Jul 2018

Douglas lifeboat launches to search for the source of the flare (photo from RNLI/Michael Howland)

Coastguard and lifeboat crews spent over four hours searching around Douglas after a flare was spotted off the coast of the Island.

Douglas lifeboat launched just before midnight on Saturday night after distress flares were reported around five miles east of Douglas.

After a two-hour search without finding anything, a coastguard helicopter joined the search.

However, nothing untoward was spotted by either the lifeboat or the helicopter, resulting in the teams being stood down just before 4am.