A discarded emergency beacon dumped in a St Helier bin sparked a major alert yesterday, prompting a two-hour lifeboat search.
St Catherine’s inshore lifeboat was launched after Falmouth Coastguard received an EPIRB signal – an emergency distress alert – from approximately 1.5 nautical miles north of La Coupe Point.
A second signal was later picked up by Jersey Coastguard in St Helier.
The crew carried out two search patterns in the area over more than two hours before being stood down and returning to station.
It was later confirmed that the EPIRB had been disposed of in a bin, with its GPS antenna cut off – triggering a false alarm.
The RNLI said the incident highlighted the importance of responsible disposal.
“Please dispose of EPIRBs responsibly. Remove the battery before discarding the device. If you are unsure, speak to a local marine shop or Jersey Coastguard. It helps prevent unnecessary emergency callouts,” the lifeboat crew said.