'Person-shaped' object in sea was actually a dummy

The crew immediately recognised the "person-shaped" object that had been reported to HM Coastguard

Coastguards scrambled to reports of a "person-shaped" object in the sea - only for them to discover it was a dummy commonly used in training exercises.

HM Coastguard Fleetwood said it was called to an area close to Cove Cafe in Cleveleys, Lancashire, at about 10:30 GMT.

Crew members quickly recognised the floating object as a dummy used in "man overboard" drills by maritime organisations and training schools.

Because the dummy would likely have caused "more concern and confusion" if it had been allowed to continue drifting along the coast, a crew member was sent into the water to perform a "tethered rescue".

Coastguards said they performed a "tethered rescue" of the dummy

HM Coastguard Fleetwood posted on Facebook: "After we had safely recovered our casualty to the promenade and made sure they didn't require any further assistance, we handed them over to Wyre Council for disposal."

The coastguard praised the person who reported seeing the mysterious object, saying they "absolutely did the right thing in calling for us" because "from a distance this made for a very concerning sight in the water".

HM Coastguard said the person who spotted the training dummy "absolutely did the right thing in calling for us".