Personal Location Beacon discarded in skip sparks River Dee search
Coastguard teams from Flint and Wirral were scrambled into action this morning following reports a Personal Location Beacon (PLB) had been activated in the middle of the River Dee.
The Flint rescue team began a search from Greenfield to Bagillt whilst counterparts from Wirral concentrated a search in the Neston area.
RNLI Hoylake Hovercraft joined the search from the Wirral side over to Bagillt.
The Caernarfon based Coastguard search and rescue helicopter was called in to help, it was first spotted over the river at around 11.20am.
The crew were able to ‘triangulate’ an area using onboard equipment
A spokesman for HM Coastguard Flint said:
“Coastguard Helicopter Rescue 936 from Caernarfon was tasked and once on scene were able to triangulate an area using their equipment onboard.
This lead to further enquires to a local scrap yard with an old vessel on site which was investigated by Flint Coastguard Rescue Officers with nothing found.
Shortly after Holyhead CGOC (Coastguard Operations Centre) had received further information from a local skip site who confirmed they had found a device in a skip.
Flint Team proceeded and confirmed this was, in fact, the device in question.
All units updated and CGOC happy for all units to stand down and return to respective Stations.”
