Lifeboat responding to report of crashed aircraft found a giraffe-shaped balloon

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 coming down in the Firth of Forth on Tuesday.

The team reached the object but discovered 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."