AN OBJECT that was seen plummeting towards the sea over the the Solway Firth yesterday was a marine flare. The short-lived mystery of what fell into the Irish Sea off the Cumbrian coast yesterday was solved after Maryport Rescue's training manager Gary Hampson contacted the News & Star. He said: "This was a marine white illumination flare, used in search and rescue to light up an area of interest to search and rescue assets. "This flare was used yesterday during a training exercise by Maryport Rescue. The team were undertaking some pyrotechnics training as part of an ongoing training programme. "Both the Coastguard and Cumbria Police was informed of the intended use before the flares were used across the towns harbour."