A paddle boarder who may have sparked a search operation off the South Shore over the Easter weekend has turned up safe and well.

Marine police and boaters conducted a thorough search of the Pink Beach area in Hamilton Parish yesterday after a member of the public reported seeing a person in distress.

However, a police spokesman said a paddle boarder who was in the area yesterday around the time the report was made had contacted them and was never in any difficulty.

“The Bermuda Police Service would like to thank the public for their assistance with a report from a member of the public who believed he may have seen a person in distress in the waters approximately 200 meters off of Pink Beach in Hamilton Parish around 1.30pm on Saturday,” the spokesman said.

“At the time, police vessels and other persons from the boating community responded, conducting an intensive search in the area with negative results.

“However, around 8.50am on Sunday, March 27, police received a call from a male paddle boarder who was in the waters off the Pink Beach area around the time the person in distress report was made. He was never in any distress and had returned to shore safely.”