Chinese Lantern mistaken for Flare

Coastguard Queenstown was called out on Sunday 1st August when a member of the public reported a flare sighting on Lake Wakatipu near Fern Hill.   Queenstown Airport Rescue, with three volunteer crew aboard,was launched at 22.39 hrs (10.39pm) and began a shoreline search.  Eventually it was ascertained by the Harbourmaster and Police that the sighting had been of a floating Chinese lantern and the search was called off at 00.10hrs (12.10am)