A hilarious "true story" that is claimed to have happened in Ireland has been viewed on TikTok over four million times in recent days.
The tale, titled "Actual radio conversation between the Irish and British off the coast of Kerry", has been spreading in recent days on the wildly popular social media app.
And user zombiebait224 has racked up over half a million likes with the hilarious story.
The video shows an apparent exchange between the British and Irish Coast Guards as it appeared that two ships could be on course to collide.
Here it is in full.
Hilarious coast guard tale
Irish CG: "Please divert your course 15 degrees to the north to avoid collision."
British CG: "Recommend you change YOUR course 15 degrees to the north to avoid collision."
Irish CG: "Negative. You will have to change your course 15 degrees to avoid collision."
British CG: "This is the Captain of a British Navy Ship. I say again divert YOUR course."
Irish CG: "Negative. I say again, divert your course."
British CG: "This is the aircraft carrier HMS Britannia! The second largest ship in the British Atlantic fleet. We are accompanied by three destroyers, three cruisers, and numerous support vessels. I demand that you change your course 15 degrees to the north or else counter measures will be undertaken to ensure the safety of this ship!"
*Short pause*
Irish CG: "We are a lighthouse. Your call."
Is it a true story?
As brilliant as this story is, it is not true - instead it's a well-known urban myth and has been linked to pretty much every naval organisation in the world.
It has circulated on the Internet and elsewhere in particular since a 1995 iteration that was represented as an actual transcript of such a communication released by the office of the U.S. Chief of Naval Operations.
It has been described as some authorities as "completely bogus".
So did it every actually happen off the coast of Ireland? No.
Is it still hilarious? Yes.
