SWIMMERS were cleared from Rainbow Bay this morning after the Westpac helicopter spotted a “14ft shark” swimming near the flags.

Lifeguards leapt into action and hunted for the shark on jet skis when the report came in at 11.30am but all they found was a 4ft baby shark near Duranbah.

Southern Lifeguard Supt Int Peter Miller joked that it might be hard to judge the size of a shark from a helicopter but confirmed his staff had been “inundated” with sightings this season.

SLSQ's Westpac Heli has spotted a large shark near Snapper Rocks on the Gold Coast today. Please swim only between the red and yellow flags. — Surf Life Saving QLD (@lifesavingqld) January 7, 2016

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“The Westpac helicopter flew over rainbow beach and they said they cited a shark and we immediately dispatched the jetski and took the flags down,” he said.

“The helicopter staff said it was a 14ft shark but our guys were only able to spot a 4ft one when we looked.

RAINBOW BAY SURF CAM

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“We are getting inundated by people who see sharks and 99.9 per cent of the time they never existed but you cant take any risks.

“We would hate there to be an attack after everything going on down south.”

The beach has since been reopened.

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