False alarm in Akumal as buoy mistaken for distress signal

Akumal, Mexico — A significant mobilization of emergency and police forces occurred during the early hours of Friday after a group of people observed what they believed were distress signals at sea.

Around 6:30 a.m., the first reports began coming in through the 911 emergency number, indicating that at the height of Akumal Bay, flare lights and illuminations were requesting assistance at sea.

Civil Protection personnel and agents from the Municipal Public Security Secretariat mobilized and, upon arriving near the Villas Seagatte hotel, observed three vessels as well as a cruise ship.

When National Guard agents arrived, they indicated that they constantly receive reports requesting support in the same area and that the lights came from a nautical buoy with a red light. After receiving this information, the emergency services withdrew from the site and normalized their patrols.