A MAJOR SEARCH operation launched on land and sea in the early hours of Monday morning was called off after the subject of the emergency was found safe and well in his own home.
The Buckie and Macduff Lifeboats were launched while police and coastguard service volunteers searched the area around Portknockie harbour after receiving reports that a local man had been seen “in distress”.
Police were informed late on Sunday evening that the man had been spotted in the harbour area, with a spokeswoman confirming that his car was found at the port after which coastguard crews were contacted.
The Buckie Lifeboat was launched just after midnight and joined half an hour later by the Macduff boat in a search in and around the harbour but nothing was found.
However, at around 1am the search was called off after police said the owner of the car – a white Honda Civic – had been traced at his home.
The police spokeswoman said: “Officers visited his home and he was traced there so the search was stood down.”