On Wednesday March 5 just after 3pm the Plymouth volunteer crew launched their Severn Class All-Weather Lifeboat 'Sybil Mullen Glover' at the request of Falmouth Coastguard following the activation of an EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon).

The signal was initially reported to the east of Plymouth, but with an approximate 19-mile radius, the search area was extensive.

The crew went to a position west of Plymouth Sound, while HM Coastguard helicopter Rescue 924, which had also been tasked, began aerial searches east of Plymouth to track the signal.

With no further information from the device, the volunteer crew carried out parallel searches from Whitsand Bay in the west to Bigbury Bay in the east, while Rescue 924 expanded the search further south.

A request was then made for their flank station Salcombe RNLI to launch their All-Weather Lifeboat, which conducted thorough searches first to the east of Salcombe and then to the west, significantly helping in the effort to cover the vast search area.

After almost five hours of coordinated searching in calm sea conditions with excellent visibility, and with nothing untoward found, both lifeboats and Rescue 924 were stood down by Falmouth Coastguard.