Person ‘missing’ off coast of St Andrews rescued as hundreds of students flock to annual Gaudie sea dip event
Students looked upset after one of their pals was reported missing
AN EXCITING, traditional event descended into a panic today after a person vanished off the coast of St Andrews.
A frantic search was launched for the missing person as crews descended on the Fife town this morning.
The alarm was raised the morning after hundreds of students flocked to the Fife town for the annual Gaudie sea dip event.
The event, which happens every year on April 30, sees students walk along the pier in a torchlit procession before running into the sea at East Sands at sunrise on May 1.
But emergency crews launched a frantic search after a person was reported missing.
Police are currently at the scene and around nine Coastguard crews descended on the beach.
A helicopter was also seen circling an area over the North Sea this morning.
But officers have now confirmed that the person has been found and “traced safe and well”.
A spokesperson for the University of St Andrews confirmed that the person was not a student.
An eyewitness told the Scottish Sun that students in the area looked very upset this morning as the search got underway.
He said: “There is a lot of Coastguard and police everywhere.
“All the students were out of the water and long gone when it all started. But there were about three or four who seemed quite upset.
“It looks like maybe a student has gone missing and they’ve called the police.
“They’ve closed down the car park and two more lifeboats are on their way.”
An RNLI spokesperson said: “Broughty Ferry RNLI were tasked by the UK Coastguard at 8.21am today (1 May 2024) to assist in the search for a missing person in the East Sands area of St Andrews.
“After a short search, the lifeboat was stood down with the person located safe and well ashore.”
