The call was received via VHF radio on Sunday 18 October at 9.25am reporting a sinking yacht off the coast of Cork.

The caller reported a 32ft yacht called Bluebird suffering engine troubles and said the craft was sinking south of Roche’s Point.

The Coast Guard sent out three boats, two helicopters, naval and local craft too who looked for the troubled yacht for six hours from Waterford down to Galley Head in Cork but didn’t find it.

Owners of boats called Bluebird in Ireland have been contacted in a bid to find the vessel and the UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency have alerted those owning craft of the same name in the United Kingdom.

It’s been suggested that the call could have been a hoax, but it’s very unusual for the Coast Guard to receive fake reports of boats in trouble. Investigators are currently looking into the matter.

The search for the sinking yacht has now been called off but local vessels have been alerted in case they spot anything unusual.