Rescue crews called to fish a body out of the water find a statue
Three emergency service teams were mobilised to attend to a “body in the water” in Suffolk on Wednesday.
The alarm was raised when someone reported seeing a human shape apparently floating in Butley Creek near Orford.
A Suffolk Police spokesman said: “Police received a call from a member of the public reporting what they believed to be a body in the river.
“The fire service and coastguard were also called to assist, but a short while later this was actually confirmed to be a sculpture.” The bronze artwork was created by Laurence Edwards and called, with no hint of irony, A Thousand Tides.
It was designed to lie in the mud and gradually sink but has stayed afloat for more than a year.
“It was supposed to have sunk long ago,” said Mr Edwards. “I’ve always been a bit worried that a helicopter would spot it and want to rescue it. To convince someone it’s a real person is an achievement, although I would like to apologise to the person who called.”