Aircraft alert sparked search

The air and sea search operation which was launched off the west coast of Orkney yesterday afternoon was sparked by an apparent distress signal from an aircraft.

Both Stromness Lifeboat and the Stornoway Coastguard helicopter were tasked to the scene by the Coastguard, responding to the alert which had been detected by the Aeronautical Rescue Co-ordination Centre (ARCC) which is based at RAF Kinloss.

After an extensive search throughout the afternoon, the operation was later stood down, with nothing found.

A Shetland Coastguard spokesman put the alert down to being a “spurious alarm.”