Woman held after ferry baby alert (From Borehamwood Times)

Woman held after ferry baby alert

7:08pm Thursday 10th May 2012 in National News © Press Association 2013

A woman has been arrested on suspicion of wasting police time after a major search for a baby feared lost at sea was called off.

The land and sea operation in Belfast Lough was cancelled when police said initial reports that an infant had fallen from a ferry were incorrect.

The search got under way after the woman plunged from the Stena Line vessel as it made its way into port from Cairnryan in Scotland on Wednesday night.

The 37-year-old, from Belfast, who was rescued within 15 minutes and taken to the city's Royal Victoria Hospital for treatment, has now been taken into custody for questioning.

The incident happened in the lough, close to Holywood, Co Down, at around 6.10pm on Wednesday on a busy shipping route for passengers and freight between Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Agencies, including the police helicopter, the Irish Coastguard and the RNLI were involved in the search operation which continued long into the night and resumed early this morning.