Family argument at Butlins lead to massive rescue operation
Officials say a helicopter, three lifeboats, fire and ambulance crews and the police were all called after a third party rang in what they thought was serious trouble.
But the authorities soon discovered they were responding to a false alarm upon arrival - finding one person wading in the sea and the rest of the group rowing on the beach.
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Hide AdThe average cost of an emergency service call-out is estimated to be around £400 - bringing the total for the confusion to more than £2,000.
The supposed casualties were spotted at around 11:40pm on Friday (March 6) on a beach in Minehead, Somerset.
It is thought that they had been staying at a nearby Butlin's resort.
All crews were stood down after everybody was made safe and the police were left to talk to those involved.
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Hide AdChris Rundle, spokesman for the local RNLI, said: "It appears one family member was actually wading knee-deep in the sea but the whole group was reported as being in difficulties by a third party.
"It was a very confused situation but clearly when there is a report of persons in the water no-one can afford to take any chances.
"This actually turned out to be a very expensive response to a false alarm but the scale of the resources deployed was no more than was warranted by the situation as initially described."