One simple phone call could have prevented a two-hour rescue operation sparked after a vehicle was spotted floating upside down off a Western Isles beach, the Coastguard said yesterday.
A major land, sea and air search was launched when a passer by saw a 4×4 in the sea at Port Beag, Tolsta, on Lewis, with a jacket floating nearby and raised the alarm.
Stornoway Coastguard said yesterday the Land Rover became stuck while its owners were using it to help launch a dinghy and they then left the vehicle behind without alerting the authorities.
The couple headed off in the boat to a nearby pier and when they returned home later they discovered a major search operation was underway for them.
A Stornoway Coastguard spokesman said: “Our advice is don’t leave your car on the beach and if it is stuck call the police. In this incident a passer-by reported seeing a vehicle submerged with a jacket floating beside it. We had no indication the vehicle was empty and as it was at the foot of a cliff we thought it may have gone off the cliff.
“Assets were then deployed trying to locate people who weren’t in the vehicle in the first place. If they had phoned the police or coastguard it would have stopped the whole process.”
The coastguard helicopter was joined by Stornoway lifeboat and coastguard teams from Stornoway, Ness and Breasclete during the search which was launched shortly before 6pm on Tuesday.
Two other boats – the sandeel boat Ronja Viking and town harbour tender Portrona – stood by in case they were needed.
Two lifeboat crew members along with two coastguards were sent out in the lifeboat’s Y-boat to the vehicle and towed it into shallow water.
They broke the windows to check if there was anyone inside and found the vehicle was empty. Shortly afterwards the owners were traced.
The vehicle could be seen stranded on the beach yesterday morning and its owners are thought to be preparing to recover it using a tractor.