Volunteer rescue teams in five hour River Dee search following reports of person in the water

News and Info from Deeside, Flintshire, North Wales

This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Nov 27th, 2018

Update: Police have said this morning the search was launched following “concerns for the safety of a woman” she has since been found safe and well.

Officers were spotted putting a cordon up between Quay Lane and Dock Road at the same time as the search of the river was carried out, the cordon remained in place this morning with a patrol car stationed alongside.

Police have confirmed to Deeside.com this was related to the overnight search activity.

Earlier report: Volunteer rescue teams from Flint and Rhyl Coastguard and R.N.L.I Flint lifeboat were called out in freezing temperatures late last night following reports of the person in the River Dee in Connah’s Quay.

The teams were scrambled just before 12am having taken reports of person in the water near to the Old Quay house public house on Dock Road.

Flint inshore lifeboat launched from Dock Road at around 12.30am, its crew could be seen searching the river with a high powered spotlight.

Rescue 936 the Caernarfon based search and rescue helicopter was called in to support the search, it was seen hovering above the river on the Tata side of the Flintshire Bridge moving slowly towards the Blue Bridge In Queensferry.

The helicopter left the scene of the search at 2.30am, the search was later called off just after 5am, a spokesperson for Flint Coastguard said:

“After 5.5 hours of searching the River Dee from Connah’s Quay to Saltney Ferry by all search and rescue personnel and nothing found all units stood down pending further investigation by North Wales Police.”

Earlier report: A Coastguard search and rescue helicopter looks to be searching the River Dee close to the Flintshire Bridge this morning.

Several people have been in touch with Deeside.com to say they can see the helicopter hovering above the river on the Tata side of the bridge moving slowly towards the Blue Bridge In Queensferry.

Flint R.N.L.I Lifeboat also appears to have been called out, the R.N.L.I website states the inshore lifeboat was launched at 12.02am on Tuesday.

Launched from Flint, Flintshire about twenty five minutes ago – https://t.co/8aE40KKdtd

— RNLI: Out On A Shout (@outonashout) November 27, 2018

The Caernarfon based search and rescue helicopter which was first spotted at around 1am is transmitting a squawk (Secondary Surveillance Radar) code 023 indicating the “Aircraft engaged in actual SAR Operations.”

Commenting on the Deeside.com Facebook Page Kate said there are “boats on the river” with search lights.

Phil told us he was behind the Flint based lifeboat as it was being towed to the Dock Road launch point at 12:20am – the R.N.L.I Landrover had its blue lights on.