By Rachel D’Oro
The Associated Press
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — To some 911 callers, it looked like a fiery plane crash just offshore of downtown Anchorage. Others thought it was a boat in trouble.
The Coast Guard was practicing shooting emergency flares during a rescue exercise Tuesday morning, but no one informed city authorities who hustled fire crews to the scene after getting as many as half a dozen reports from worried callers.
The Coast Guard says it won’t happen again.
Petty Officer David Mosley says such yearly training exercises are usually conducted at a range at nearby Fort Richardson, but space was not available for Tuesday’s flare practice.