Hour long search but lifeboat call was hoax
A crew from RNLI Kinghorn Lifeboat Station
KINGHORN Lifeboat was the victim of a hoax call last Friday afternoon.
The lifeboat crew were alerted just before 2.00 p.m. after the Coastguard received a 999 emergency call reporting a person in the water off Aberdour.
The lifeboat launched and carried out a search around Aberdour bay along with a Coastguard rescue team and a rescue helicopter. The search took around one hour and nothing was found. It was then discovered that the call had been a hoax.
Lifeboat press officer, Neil Chalmers, said: “We are disappointed that people feel the need to make hoax calls to the emergency services. The RNLI is a voluntary organisation, and all of the crew who respond to the pager have work and family commitments.
“Incidents like this use precious funds which are raised by volunteers to help save lives at sea, and train lifeboat crew for the challenges they face. Fortunately, incidents like this are rare.”
Meanwhile the crew at Kinghorn lifeboat station are busy with the final preparations for their annual Halloween Spooky Walks, which will take place from today (Thursday) to Saturday.
Dressed up
The Spooky Walks are one of the most popular events on the fundraising calendar at Kinghorn lifeboat station when everyone gets dressed-up, not in the usual drysuits and lifejackets, but as ghosts and ghouls from Kinghorn’s past.
Last year nearly £2500 was raised, with 400 people taken on a ghostly tour over three nights. This year’s event promises to be even bigger and scarier, with the new ‘Morgue Café’, and new stories to guarantee even more screams!
Hostelry
Volunteer lifeboat helmsman and Spooky Walk usher, Scott McIlravie, said: “Planning is complete, and preparations are well underway for this year’s event. Kinghorn’s newest hostelry, The Morgue Café will open on Thursday for three nights!
“It would be great to see as many people as possible joining us on a Spooky Walk. It is fundraising events like this which allow the RNLI to maintain the volunteer-run service. The crew, and others, are putting many hours into this event; over and above all the regular training and emergency call outs we attend through the year.
“There will also be activities in the boathouse including dooking for apples and face-painting, and any children who come along in fancy dress will be rewarded with free sweets.”
Walks will take place today (Thursday), Friday and Saturday from 7.00 p.m. with tours leaving every 15-20 minutes from Kinghorn lifeboat station.
Booking is essential, and can be done online at www.bookings.kinghorn.org.uk.
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Weather for Kirkcaldy
Tuesday 18 June 2013
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 10 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: West
