The Councillor for the Ards Peninsula area has called for the individual behind the fake 999 call to be prosecuted, adding the incident wasted the valuable time and resources of the emergency services.
The call was made on December 27, the 20th anniversary of the speedboat accident that claimed the lives of a group of friends returning to Kircubbin from a night out in Killinchy.
Councillor Armstrong said: “Whoever made this fake call should be prosecuted. Twenty years ago our community lost a number of men in a terrible boating accident. The fake call brought emergency services out, reminding the families of those lost men and renewing their pain.
“Thank goodness it was a calm night on Strangford Lough. If it had been stormy the volunteers of RNLI, the Coastguard, PSNI and the NIAS could have risked their lives for a fake call. This type of fraudulent call diverts help away from others who could be facing a real life threatening situation.
“I believe the recording of the call is being reviewed and investigated. I sincerely hope the PSNI are able to track this individual down and can prosecute them for wasting our precious resources.”