Lifeboat and Coastguard teams called to search in fog at Beadnell after reports of calls for help
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The alarm was raised at 11.51am on Monday following several reports from the public of people calling for help and two flares being fired.
Seahouses all-weather lifeboat, which is equipped with radar, was launched and began a search while Coastguard rescue teams conducted a shoreline search. Craster inshore lifeboat also joined the search but nothing was found.
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Hide AdThere was a suggestion that fireworks had been set off, or a shotgun fired.
Seahouses RNLI press officer Ian Clayton said: “It is always a concern when a search produces no results, in case something was missed.
"If fireworks had been let off, people need to carefully consider that at the coast they can be mistaken for distress flares, which can spark an emergency services response, as happened.
"At this time, we believe this incident was a false alarm with good intent.”