Gran Canaria: Tug boat mistaken for plane crash Published duration 27 March 2014

image copyright Javi Celard image caption An image of the vessel on photographer Javi Celard's camera shows how the confusion occurred

A tug boat ferrying a large object at sea sparked an alert off the Spanish Island of Gran Canaria after being mistaken for a crashed plane.

Local media said a plane had plunged into the sea close to the island and rescue services were sent to the scene.

But the Spanish authorities quickly revealed the alert was a false alarm.