IT had all the ingredients of a Saving Lives at Sea rescue epic - a fishing boat on fire, casualties in the water and on marina pontoons, and even a major diesel spill.

The good news was that the disaster, which took place in Watchet marina on Monday, was a carefully choreographed exercise to rehearse the emergency services’ response to a major incident.

The public was warned on social media that this would not be the real thing and it was not “a communications exercise or a media opportunity”.

A spokesman for the organisers said: “We apologise in advance for any inconvenience this might cause,” but this didn’t stop  hundreds turning up to  watch  charter fishing  boat  Scooby Doo Too, owned by skipper Steve Yeandle, enveloped in orange smoke, and “casualties” stretchered to emergency rescue and rest centres.

It was all part of “Exercise Safe Haven,” organised and co-ordinated by Somerset West and Taunton council to check emergency procedures for responding to major incidents, and involving over 100 participants.

In addition to police, a police drone team, fire and rescue services, ambulance and paramedics, and HM Coastguard, the exercise also included marina-owners the Marine Group, Somerset County Council, Sedgemoor and South Somerset district councils, the Sea Scouts and other local organisations.

The exercise consisted of a simulated explosion on Scooby Doo Too, with numerous simulated casualties both in the water, and on the boats and pontoons, plus a simulated diesel spill in the marina.

Casualties played by students from Bridgwater and Taunton College and Watchet Sea Scout leaders, were brought ashore and treated in the nearby Phoenix Centre by volunteers including the Red Cross and St John’s Ambulance. There was also a police survivor centre in the Methodist church.

“The whole exercise went extremely well although we have not yet had the debrief on the final outcome. It was a good test of everyone’s capabilities, multi-agency working and information-sharing”, said Simon Bale of Watchet Coastguard.

“It was a good test of our training in casualty rescue and care. The whole exercise was as lifelike as possible and showed that should a major emergency ever occur, we have the systems and organisations to deal with it.”