Nessy hunt is asking for trouble, says RNLI

Warning prompted by tens of thousands signing up to Area 51-style event in search of fabled monster

Conspiracy theorists risk hypothermia and drowning if they follow through with a plan to “storm” Loch Ness in search of its mythical monster, the RNLI has warned. More than 40,000 people have signalled their interest in storming the loch to find the fabled monster, prompting a safety warning.

CONSPIRACY theorists risk hypothermia and drowning if they follow through with a plan to “storm” Loch Ness in search of its infamous monster, the RNLI has warned.

More than 40,000 people have signalled their interest in storming the loch to find the fabled monster, prompting a warning from the local lifeguard crew about the treacherous nature of the loch.

The viral event comes after almost two million people pledged to attend a similar gathering at Area 51, the US military base in Nevada linked to alien activity by conspiracy theorists.

The US Air Force responded by saying it was “ready to protect America and its assets”. The organiser of the Facebook event replied saying it was intended as a joke and he did not plan on ever storming Area 51.

The RNLI warned that it does not have the US Army at its disposal to deal with similar activity and encouraged Nessie hunters not to attend the event earmarked for Sept 21.

“With no US Army involved, Loch Ness looks a little less hazardous than storming Area 51, but here we have our own set of problems,” the RNLI said.

The lifeguard crew alerted anyone planning on entering the water to its 745ft (230m) depth, “that’s nearly two and a half times the height of Big Ben”.

The Loch Ness RNLI team also warned that the arrival of such a large number of people at the water risked stretching its resources.

“Our Atlantic 85 lifeboat has an impressive survivor carrying capacity, but even that will be stretched by the ‘attendees’ of this event.”

The statement said that, “joking aside”, there were some facts to share about the water mass.

“The water temperature is cold. In fact, an average of 6C all year round, meaning cold water shock and hypothermia are real dangers.” In 2015, a kayaker developed hypothermia so quickly after his boat capsized at Loch Ness that he was unable to swim 50ft to the shore. He was rescued by the RNLI.

Those signed up to the Loch Ness event have also been warned about the swell in the water.

“Weather conditions and water state can deteriorate rapidly, going from flat calm to a large swell in minutes.

“There are very few areas on the shoreline where it is possible to make it up to a road,” the RNLI said.

It also pointed out that the waves in the loch are generated by wind, not a tide. The highest recorded wave at Loch Ness is 13ft but unofficial reports suggest that they can reach up to 16ft, it added.

The statement concluded: “Nessie 1 Bandwagon 0.”

‘Our Atlantic 85 lifeboat has an impressive survivor carrying capacity, but even that will be stretched by the “attendees” of this event’