Emergency services / Coastguard teams stood down after false alarm
COASTGUARD teams have been stood down after the emergency beacon that sparked a search earlier in the day was found at the Rova Head landfill site.
Shetland Coastguard was alerted around midday to the beacon going off near Rova Head, to the north of Lerwick, and tasked voluntary teams from Lerwick, Walls and Sumburgh as well as Lerwick lifeboat to search area between Lerwick and South Nesting.
Meanwhile, however, coastguard officers managed to contact the vessel, which the EPIRB beacon belonged to.
The crew was busy fishing in Yell Sound, north of Fethaland, oblivious that they were in the centre of an emergency.
A coastguard spokesperson said the beacon had been discarded and was activated by accident at the landfill site.
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