Coastguard and Lifeboat call out after red distress flare spotted near Hawarden Bridge

A Coastguard rescue team was scrambled in early hours of Saturday morning following reports a red distress flare seen over the River Dee near to Hawarden railway bridge.

Holyhead Coastguard Operations Centre received an alert after two police officers who were in the Dock Road area of Connah’s Quay, saw the red distress flare arcing over the bridge at around 1.10am.

The Flint-based Coastguard rescue team made their way at Dock Road, officers at Deeside police station also saw the distress flair and made their way to the Blue Bridge in Queensferry.

Police spotted a large object in the water near the Blue Bridge prompting a request for the RNLI Flint Lifeboat to launch and help with a search.

A thorough search of the river and its banks was carried out by the by Coastguard rescue team, the lifeboat crew and police officers.

The teams searched the river from Connah’s Quay Docks up towards the Saltney Ferry Bridge but nothing other than a large tree was found.

Flint Coastguard said on their Facebook page:

Holyhead Coastguard Operations Centre were happy we had done all we can and agreed with the Flint CRT that the flair was probably fired from land over towards the river and that all units could stand down.