when a distress flare was sighted almost 400 miles off Bermuda.

A Harbour Radio spokesman told The Royal Gazette that a sailing vessel reported seeing a red flare 370 miles northwest of the Island.

A Coast Guard C-130 aircraft and the Celebrity Cruise liner were diverted to the area to search for the flare's source.

After three hours, the Zenith was released from the search and allowed to continued on her way to Bermuda, said the spokesman, who added that the vessel was expected to arrive on time this morning.

As of last night nothing had been found in the area and the yacht which reported seeing the flare was now suggesting it might not have been red but a different colour.

In an unrelated incident, the spokesman said the 44-foot sloop Gypsea ran into trouble 100 miles north from the area where the above flare was sighted.

He said the sloop -- which was carrying four people -- was on its way from Bermuda to Massachusetts when it ran low on fuel and was dismasted.

The vessel's EPIRB system was activated and one of several vessels in the area responded to help the strickened vessel which was expected to continue on her way.

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