Whitehaven Coastguard Rescue Team were called away from the Blue Light Day at the Marina to attend to an unmanned inflatable boat off St Bees Beach.

Due to concerns that there could be a person in the water, crews were set out to retrieve the boat.

After a search, the team found ‘nothing untoward’ and recovered the boat lest it be ‘refloated by youths’.

A spokesperson for the Whitehaven Coastguard Rescue Team said: “Sadly, our time was cut short at the Blue Light Day due to a 999 call being received to our Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre Belfast Coastguard, reporting an inflatable tender afloat off St Bees Beach, with no persons seen onboard.

“With concerns that there could be a person overboard, or onboard who may have experienced a medical emergency, ourselves and St Bees RNLI were tasked to investigate.

“We arrived on scene and working with the RNLI confirmed that the boat was empty and no signs of having been used recently.

“With the boat now having drifted ashore, a hasty search was conducted along the shoreline by Coastguard and RNLI, with nothing untoward found. Identification markers onboard showed the vessel was from Wales.

“This information was passed to the control room and the boat was recovered so as to ensure it wasn't refloated by any youths.”