ARDROSSAN’S Coastguard were called out to THREE different incidents at Saltcoats Harbour within a matter of days - with one of them being confirmed as a hoax.

Police and the coastguard were involved in a multi-agency search operation last Thursday in Saltcoats after reports of a person in the water.

The emergency services had been contacted by a member of the public via a 999 call following an overheard amateur radio conversation which inferred someone may have been in difficulty within the confines of Saltcoats Harbour.

The incident, which occurred around 6.30pm, saw Coastguard and police attend immediately to search the area for any persons in trouble.

An extensive search was carried out by the Ardrossan Coastguard team and they were assisted by officers from Police Scotland and the Police Scotland Air Support Unit.

Upon completion of the search with nothing of note found, and no further information to suggest any person was in difficulty, all resources were stood down.

A spokesperson for Police Scotland said: “About 6.35pm on Thursday, January 5, Police Scotland were contacted by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) after they had received reports of a person having entered Saltcoats Harbour.

“An extensive search was conducted by Police and MCA colleagues which included the use of the Police Scotland Air Support Unit - the search was concluded around 8.30pm with no trace of any person having been within the water.”

This was followed by two call-outs on Sunday, the first of which took place at around 3pm with police and Coastguard again being tasked to search Saltcoats Harbour. After they completed their search and found nothing or note they liaised with Coastguard Operations at Belfast, the incident was classed as a hoax. 

A spokesperson for the Ardrossan Coastguard Rescue Team said: “Malicious calls to the emergency services put multiple lives at risk. These hoaxes risk the lives of the emergency services including volunteer Coastguard Rescue Teams who are leaving their families and friends behind to respond to what they believe to be a genuine emergency.

“They also risk the lives of the general public as there could be people in genuine need of the assistance of the emergency services who are engaged in a search and rescue operation when there’s no one actually requiring help.

“We would urge that if anyone has information regarding anyone who is involved in making hoax or malicious calls to the emergency services to contact the police on 101.

“In this instance the first informant followed the correct course of action and acted on information which they had received. We continue to advise the public if they believe a person is in distress at the coast or at sea to always contact the Coastguard – regardless of the circumstances.”

The third call out happened at 8pm following reports of a woman near the water. She was escorted to safety by police just before the Coastguard arrived.