False Alarm: Large-Scale Search in Nieuwpoort Ends Without Incident

An extensive search operation was mounted in Nieuwpoort overnight after a worker reported hearing a girl screaming for help, fearing she had fallen into the water near the fish market. The incident prompted a significant response from emergency services, with fire brigades, divers from multiple stations, police, and a patrol boat all involved in the search.

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She calls for help and I hear her screaming.

Despite the deployment of considerable resources and the involvement of around 40 emergency personnel, the search, which lasted for about an hour and a half between the fish market and Kattesas, yielded no results. Fire Captain Richard Vandenabeele stated that no distress calls were received by the police during the time of the search, leading them to conclude it was a false alarm.

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We rushed out en masse. Our divers arrived on site, but also divers from Veurne, Lo-Reninge and Houthulst. The Westkust zone police also joined the search. A police dog searched the other side of the quay, and the maritime police patrol boat went back and forth several times with a searchlight.

Authorities now suspect that the sounds heard by the worker may have originated from a wedding party taking place nearby. The commotion from the celebration could have been misinterpreted as a cry for help, leading to the large-scale emergency response. The operation was ultimately called off after a thorough but fruitless search.

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We searched for an hour and a half between the fish market and Kattesas, but we were with 40 and found nothing. Moreover, no report had been received by the police during that time. We decided it was a false alarm.