A Coastguard search was launched at Brean Down, near Burnham-On-Sea, on Saturday morning (October 28th) after a member of the public dialled 999 after spotting what appeared to be an orange dingy drifting out to sea.
Both Weston’s lifeboats were launched shortly after 11.20am and Weston Coastguards helped to guide the crews towards the object.
The lifeboat crew quickly found the ‘dingy’ was infact a Yacht Club racing buoy that had dragged its anchor, making it appear larger and more visible from the shore than usual.
RNLI crew member Liam McDermoatt said: “Buoys can often be mistaken for dinghies or small fishing boats and their flags can sometimes be seen as a distress signal. We would encourage any concerned member of the public to contact the Coastguard by dialing 999 if they think someone could be in trouble at sea.”
