Late-Night Multi-Agency Search on West Wight Cycle Track Ends in False Alarm
Big Response to Muddy Sighting
Emergency services launched a massive search after a call about a person stumbling in the mud near the cycle track between Afton Road and Freshwater Causeway. The call came just after 11pm on Thursday.
All Hands on Deck in Tough Conditions
The Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue, two Coastguard Search and Rescue teams from Ventnor and The Needles, Isle of Wight Ambulance Service, Hampshire Constabulary, and the Coastguard rescue helicopter 175 from Lee-on-the-Solent were scrambled. Crews battled darkness and difficult terrain, using thermal imaging cameras on the ground and FLAIR and Nightsun tech from the air.
Search Ends Without a Trace
Despite the massive effort, no sign of the missing person was found. All units stood down just after 1.25am on Friday morning. The alarm turned out to be a false one, sparing emergency teams from a prolonged hunt but raising questions about the reliability of the initial sighting.
