Following the record-breaking month of July for call-outs, the Ardrossan Coastguard Rescue Team were in high demand after receiving multiple calls during their pre-arranged training sessions. 

The first was a vessel that had run into mechanical difficulty near Portencross, followed shortly by a member of the public alerting the remaining team at the Ardrossan station about concern for a paddleboarder on South Beach. 

After the Coastguard Rescue Helicopter was also scrambled with a multi-agency search ongoing focusing on Ardrossan South Beach and the coastal area to the rear of Asda. 

The paddleboarder appeared on the ground safe and well. 

Just as last night's pre-training briefing was about to begin, they received a 999 call from a member of the public reporting concerns for the vessel near Portencross.

Three team members proceeded to Portencross leaving the remainder of the team to carry on with the training session as planned.

On arrival, the team identified the vessel in question, having already had contact with the boat's owners on social media during the weekend.

They appeared to be having mechanical issues and not making any headway.

It was confirmed the vessel required assistance and Largs Lifeboat was launched to assist them.

The team remained on scene and in communication with the vessel by radio until the arrival of the lifeboat, who then took the vessel under tow heading for Largs Marina.

The team made their way to Largs Marina to await their arrival.

Whilst this was all happening, a member of the public appeared at the Coastguard station where the remainder of the team was training, to report concern for a possible person in the water near South Beach in Ardrossan.

The team responded to this incident, and with nothing immediately obvious arriving on the scene, began conducting a search of the immediate area.

With Largs lifeboat still helping the boat, it was the Arran RNLI who were deployed to assist in Ardrossan, with the remainder of the Ardrossan team currently at Largs Marina also diverting south back to Ardrossan.

Largs Coastguard Rescue Team was later called out to assist Largs Lifeboat with their incident.

Coastguard Rescue Helicopter Rescue 199 got involved with a now multi-agency search ongoing focusing on Ardrossan South Beach and the coastal area to the rear of Asda.

As the initial search was concluding with nothing found, information was received from members of the public nearby who had said they’d seen a paddleboarder in the area earlier in the evening.

A short time later, the paddleboarder attended at the scene having found out about the ongoing search to advise they had been in the area a short time ago.

A spokesperson from Ardrossan coastguard said: "In consultation with the first informant, the paddleboarder, and other members of the public, the team on scene were satisfied it was the paddleboarder who had originally been seen and no other persons were at risk or in any difficultly.

"All search and rescue resources were thereafter stood down to return to their respective stations.

"Our thanks to the paddleboarder for attending to make the team aware they had been at sea a short time earlier and to the first informant and the other members of the public who were able to provide information to bring the search to an end with the call deemed as a false alarm with good intent.

"We always advise the public if they think someone is at risk or in difficulty at sea or along the coast to immediately dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard. Seconds count when it comes to emergencies so if you are in any doubt whatsoever, make the call. We would much rather be called out to something which turns out to be a false alarm as opposed to not being called out or called out late to something which requires our attendance.

"In a coastal emergency always dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard."