Hoax emergency call sparks major rescue response at Old Head of Kinsale

A full-scale rescue operation was launched off the Old Head of Kinsale after a false emergency call on Monday

Emergency services personnel on the Old Head of Kinsale. Picture: Old Head/Seven Heads Coast Guard/ Facebook

A major rescue response was launched at the Old Head of Kinsale on Monday afternoon following an emergency call that was later found to be a hoax.

Valentia Coast Guard received a report shortly before 1.30pm, claiming a vehicle had gone off a cliff in the area.

Coast Guard volunteers rushed to the scene, along with units from the Courtmacsherry RNLI station, members of An Garda Síochána based in Kinsale and Bandon, and the National Ambulance Service. An Irish Coast Guard rescue helicopter from Waterford was also dispatched.

After arriving in the area around 2pm, emergency personnel conducted an extensive search on land and at sea near the Old Head of Kinsale. The call was later confirmed to be a hoax, and the response stood down.

It is understood that this was the second hoax call to emergency services in the Kinsale area in the past month.

On Monday evening, a spokesperson for the Old Head/Seven Heads Coast Guard Unit described such hoax calls as “extremely frustrating.”

“Our unit and others are happy to respond 24/7, 365 days a year to rescue those in need,” the spokesperson said.

"Hoax calls are extremely frustrating to both volunteers and full time members of the emergency services".

The spokesperson added that while valuable resources were responding to Monday’s false alarm, they were unavailable for any genuine emergencies, potentially delaying assistance to people in real need.