Lifeboat crew called to "ditched aircraft" find giraffe-shaped balloon
The object was found in the Firth of Forth yesterday
A lifeboat crew was called out to a report of an aircraft ditching only to find out it was sparked by a balloon shaped as a giraffe.
South Queensferry lifeboat was sent out after a member of the public called in to report a possible aircraft ditching in the Firth of Forth on Tuesday.
The team reached the object and found it was a giraffe-shaped helium balloon.
A Coastguard spokesman said the call at 9.50am was made in good faith.
He said: The South Queensferry lifeboat was called out to a possible aircraft ditching in the Firth of Forth which turned out to be a giraffe-shaped helium balloon. The man who called wasn't trying to mislead us. He saw it and he thought it was an aircraft.''