A surfer sparked a massive emergency response after his board was found ‘washed up’ on a popular East Lothian beach - only to later return and confirm he had left it there on purpose.
Coastguard and lifeboat teams from the nearby Dunbar station and their counterparts in North Berwick were scrambled to the scene when the board was discovered on Whitesands beach late on Saturday afternoon.
Fellow surfers and members of the public were engaged in a frantic three-hour search operation for the supposedly missing man, however it was quickly confirmed he had simply left it on the sands while he carried some other items back to his car.
The owner was found to be in fully fit condition and was in no trouble despite initial fears for his safety.
The search was quickly stood down following the discovery but coastguard officers praised concerned locals for their vigilance as they lauded the “good intentions” behind the call.
A statement from the North Berwick Coastguard Rescue team read: "The team was asked at 1600hrs alongside Dunbar Coastguard and RNLI Dunbar Lifeboats to reports of a surfboard washed up on the beach in the Whitesands area of Dunbar.
"After an extensive search for nearly three hours and with the assistance of other surfers and members of the public, it turned out that the owner of the board had left it on the golf course while dropping other equipment off at his vehicle and then returning for it a while later.
"This was a call with good intent.
"Remember if you see someone or something you are concerned about on the shoreline, cliffs, mud or water. Dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.
"If in doubt, call."
