Emergency services were called out to a Suffolk beach after an unattended pile of clothing was found with no one in sight.
Sparking fears for the owner’s safety, it led to a multi-agency response in Lowestoft.
Lowestoft Police and Coastguard Rescue Teams were alerted when a pile of clothing and personal items were found on the South Beach at Lowestoft just before 8am this morning (Thursday) – with the owner not in sight.
Enquiries and a search of the beach area began and when no trace of the owner was found the search was expanded to include Lowestoft RNLI Lifeboat.
Lifeboat coxswain John Fox said: "We were called out just after 9.30am to conduct a shoreline search.
"We launched Lowestoft Lifeboat ‘Patsy Knight’ and the volunteer crew kept a lookout as we travelled close inshore from Children’s Corner southwards to Pakefield Coastwatch.
"With no one found HM Coastguard then gave us a further search pattern to follow."
Mr Fox said: "The sea was flat calm, and visibility was very good.
"We had just begun the second stage of the search when news came through on the radio at 10.30am that the owner of the clothing had been found safely ashore - so we were stood down and returned to our mooring."
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