FEARS that people were trapped on Mullion Island after many flashing lights were seen turned out to be a flight of fancy!

Having received multiple calls from members of the public the Lizard lifeboat was launched at around 10.09pm on Wednesday (May 29) in what was potentially to be Coxswain Dan Atkinson’s last time aboard RNLB Rose after his final exercise launch before he moves on to pasture's new.

Falmouth Coastguard sent the crew to Mullion Island after many flashing lights had been seen and causing concern that there may be persons trapped or stranded there.

RNLB Rose arrived at the island at 10.40pm and carried out a thorough search of the entire area via searchlights with the assistance of Coastguard teams from Mullion and Porthoustock.

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During this time further information had been received by Falmouth Coastguard that the lights may in fact be coming from a newly installed bird watch camera used by a bird ringing group.

After no trapped people were seen and in view of the new information, Falmouth Coastguard stood down the lifeboat to return to station arriving there shortly before 11.30pm.

In a post on Facebook, The Lizard Lifeboat said: “This service shout was a false alarm following calls made in good faith from members of the public.”

Photograph courtesy of Launch Authority Lorraine Bradley, taken a little earlier on in the evening shortly after launching on exercise.