Sunderland emergency crew recover remote controlled planes off Seaham Coast

Sunderland RNLI lifeboat station recovered two large remote controlled aeroplanes during a sea search off Seaham Hall. Photo RNLI/Paul Nicholson.

The rescue mission was launched at 2.45pm this afternoon yesterday when Coastguard Officers received an emergency call from a member of the public reporting the sighting of an orange flashing object in the sea about half a mile offshore from Seaham.

Seaham Coastguard Rescue Team contacted the Sunderland RNLI to request the launch of their Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat.

The remote controlled aeroplanes. Photo RNLI/Paul Nicholson.

The lifeboat launched ten minutes later crewed by Luke McGill along with another three volunteer crew.

With assistance from Coastguard Officers the RNLI volunteers quickly located two objects which both turned out to be large remote controlled aeroplanes.

Luke, Helmsman at Sunderland RNLI said: "Thankfully the Coastguard Officers from Seaham were able to get some really good information from the first informant which allowed us to quickly locate the two aeroplanes.

"We are extremely grateful to the member of the public who reported the initial sighting as the information they provided allowed us to quickly locate the two aeroplanes.

"Although on this occasions the sighting turned out to be a remote controlled plane, it could have very easily been a person in difficulty."

The two aeroplanes have been returned to the lifeboat station at Sunderland and if anyone wishes to collect them they should contact the station on [email protected] or 0191 567 3536.