The Sandown Inshore lifeboat crew and Bembridge coastguard were called out on Tuesday afternoon after a sighting of a possible person in the sea at Sandown Bay.

The lifeboat was launched at 1.15pm in choppy seas to investigate reports that a sighting had been made of a body floating in the water near Sandown Pier, following an emergency call from a member of the public.

One of the lifeboat crew members entered the ice-cold water under the pier and recovered a blue sleeping bag wrapped in a bin liner. The object was later judged to have been linked to the sinking of a fishing boat in the St Catherine’s area on Sunday.

“The incident was a false alarm with good intent,” a Coastguard spokesman told Gazette. The lifeboat carried out a search of the bay area but nothing else was recovered.

Sandown and Shanklin Lifeboat coxswain Mark Birch said:

“We were tasked by Solent coastguard after a report from a dog walker spotting something in the water. We carried out an area search but nothing else was found.”