Three fire crews, the police and the ambulance service were all called to the incident on the River Severn at Apley Suspension Bridge, Apley, shortly after 5pm yesterday.
Thankfully it was a false alarm, with the canoe having gone missing from a boat hire firm the previous Sunday.
Craig Jackson, a station manager and operational risk manager with Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service, said they were fortunate that they were quickly able to identify the source of the missing canoe – and confirm that it had not been a missing person.
He stressed the importance of making sure equipment is marked with contact details, allowing the emergency services to get in touch with people quickly – avoiding the possibility of spending hours searching unnecessarily.
He said: "Yesterday evening I was mobilised to support crews to reports of an up turned canoe and personal belongings floating down river.
"Items were retrieved by our boat teams and contact made with owners to confirm no persons missing.
"Please ensure that equipment used on river and sea is clearly marked with contact details.
"We were fortunate that contact had been made several days prior to this incident regarding missing equipment and once retrieved and confirmed resources were stood down quickly."
