UPDATE: Water-rescue response off Brace Point

9:41 PM: Seattle Fire is sending a water-rescue response, land and sea, to the 4800 block of SW Brace Point Drive [map]. Dispatchers say someone called in saying they saw someone “parachute into the water” south of the ferry dock. Updates to come.

9:47 PM: Responders have arrived in the area. No confirmation yet whether anyone is indeed in trouble. They’re also looking from the ferry dock.

10:03 PM: They’re still searching.

10:05 PM: Calling off the search after failing to find anyone plus “multiple reports this was a heat lantern.”

10:15 PM: Comments suggest the lanterns in question were “sky lanterns.”

Dave June 2, 2021 (9:52 pm)

Ton of sirens that is for sure.

cjboffoli June 2, 2021 (10:02 pm)

I recall covering another “parachute” inspired water rescue years ago (back in June 2015). Turned out to be a bunch of Mylar balloons.

WSB June 2, 2021 (10:14 pm)

First thing that came to my mind as soon as the dispatch started…

Tyler June 2, 2021 (10:03 pm)

I saw a paper lantern rise from Lincoln Park and drop south of the ferry dock after the lantern burned out around a similar time they saw the parachute.

Brenden June 2, 2021 (10:04 pm)

uh, haha. so we just watched the sunset down at Lincoln park, across the coast from the ferry dock. clear view. a group of teenagers let off a few paper lanterns and we watched as one went very high, blew out, and landed just south of the ferry dock, between a boat and the dock. about 10-15 minutes after, the response team showed up. preeeeeetttty sure that’s all it was.

Andrea June 2, 2021 (10:08 pm)

We saw what looked like a parachute land in the water just south of the ferry dock, south of the piling, I’d way between shore of Fauntleroy Cove and Blake Island. It was. It apparent to us from this distance whether there was a person attached to the parachute.

Andrea June 2, 2021 (10:11 pm)

Correcting a typo: *Mid-way between the shore of Fauntleroy Cove and Blake Island.
- newnative June 2, 2021 (10:47 pm)
  
  How big are these paper lanterns? A parachute with a human attached to it should be pretty big.

FF June 3, 2021 (9:05 am)

My daughter and I were at Lincoln Park near the ferry dock at that time last night. I’m quite confidant it was a paper latern. This family was trying to get them off the ground with candles inside but the wind was strong and they kept falling soon after take off but one or two went airborne. Pretty sure that is what it was. Could look like a parachute from distance. Too bad something like that triggers an emergency response.

Auntie June 3, 2021 (9:54 am)

Would it be curmudgeonly of me to mention that those paper lanterns are a fire hazard and people shouldn’t be sending them aloft in the first place? If the wind shifts and they land in a wooded area instead of the water, it could start a wildfire. 87% of wildfires are man-made.

SmokeyB June 3, 2021 (10:57 am)

With all of the recent publicity and calamities of gender reveal events, I am surprised that there are no comments concerning the fire risk of such burning paper lanterns (there is no indication that this ceremony was a gender reveal).

During this already drier than usual early start fire season, its seems thoughtless to be lofting burning uncontrolled lanterns.
The luck of this incident is the prevailing drafts and breezes that took them out over the water.
But, imagine the opposite with the lanterns alighting in the trees of Lincoln Park or someone’s old cedar shake roof?
I would hope that igniting anything that burns and flies uncontrolled within our city is considered an illegal firework.

reed June 3, 2021 (12:28 pm)

Sounds like a nice way to start a fire.

Alice June 3, 2021 (8:40 pm)

Well, I hope this isn’t folks trying to get in on the current UFO hype.Spoiler alert: UFOs aren’t aliens. Sky lanterns are the most common source for most “UFO sightings” from West Seattle.

Sorry, comment time is over.