Lifeboat volunteers from Exmouth were called out on Monday (June 11) after reports of seeing someone ‘waving their arm in the air’ at sea.
Exmouth RNLI’s inshore lifeboat George Bearman II and its Shannon-class R and J Welburn were launched following a 999 call to the coastguard.
A member of the public thought they had seen a person in the water ‘waving their arms in the air for help’ east of the lifeboat station.
Coxwain Steve Hockings-Thomspons said: “There was a concern that somebody had drifted offshore and was difficulty.
“We had on board a thermal imaging device which members of the community had kindly donated recently, so if there was anyone in the water, we would have spotted them.”
Exmouth RNLI’s inshore lifeboat was launched at around 8pm and found a pink lilo a mile south west of the station.
The Shannon-class boat was then launched at 8.20pm but both were stood down by 9.30pm with no further sightings.
Exmouth Coastguard team also help from the shore.
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