Multi-Agency Search Stood Down After False EPIRB Alert Off County Down Coast
- Pat Nolan
- Apr 24
- 1 min read
Friday 24 April 2026
Volunteer lifeboat crews from Newcastle and Kilkeel RNLI were called into action yesterday morning (Thursday, 23 April) following the detection of an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) signal off the County Down coast.
At approximately 10am, Belfast Coastguard requested both inshore lifeboats to launch and begin a coordinated search between Newcastle and Kilkeel for any vessel potentially in distress. The crews carried out systematic search patterns while monitoring their directional finding equipment in an effort to locate the source of the signal. A Coastguard helicopter, Rescue 936 from Wales, was also deployed to assist in the operation.
Simultaneously, shore-based search teams from Kilkeel, Newcastle, and Portaferry Coastguard units conducted searches along the coastline. The EPIRB was eventually located on land within the Kilkeel area. After confirming that no one was in danger, the incident was declared a false alarm and all responding units were stood down.
Speaking after the call-out, Newcastle RNLI Helm Locky Leneghan highlighted the importance of responding to such alerts: “This proved to be a false alarm this morning but as always we would much rather launch and find that no one is in difficulty, than not launch at all.”
He also emphasized the importance of proper equipment use: “We would encourage anyone using an EPIRB, which can be a lifesaving piece of equipment, to choose a GPS-enabled one and to ensure it is registered to the vessel in use.”
