Mum arrested over claim tot fell from ferry - The Sun

A WOMAN who said she fell from a boat with her newborn baby was arrested last night.

Tracey Dawn Burns, from Belfast, was seen tumbling from the Stena Superfast VII ferry on Wednesday evening.

The 37-year-old — who claimed she was travelling from Cairnryan in Scotland with a nine-day-old tot — was pulled safely from Belfast Lough.

It's now believed the mum-of-six may have jumped from the ferry which was just minutes from Belfast Port where her relatives were waiting.

She could face charges for wasting police time as cops believe she lied when she said an infant fell in too.

One friend said: "She said she had given birth to a wee boy called Mackenzie McCann on April 30. But the picture she posted of him on Facebook looked like a plastic baby."

Tracey's claim sparked a major land, sea and air hunt for the child.

It wound up on Wednesday night and started again in treacherous conditions at 7am on Thursday.

But after speaking to Tracey — who uses the name Dawn McCann — and her relatives, cops established there had never been a baby.

The search, which cost thousands of euro, was called off at 1pm.

One source said: "Tracey first said she was pregnant in December which came as a complete surprise.

"She said she went into Lagan Valley Hospital alone to have the child at the end of last month.

"But she said there were complications and she was airlifted to Liverpool within an hour of the birth.

"She told everyone the child was looked after and she reported back that everything was OK.

"No one in Belfast has seen the baby and there are people who do not believe there ever was a baby."

One friend claimed she had posted an image of a baby on her Facebook site. The pal added: "Some of us were shocked because the picture looked very much like a plastic baby doll.

"She said she would be back in Belfast soon to show off her new baby to everyone in Northern Ireland.

"The truth is that no one was really expecting to see her arrive home with an actual baby."

Tracey is living apart from her husband and has a partner in Belfast, who she has claimed was the father.

She was treated in hospital for hypothermia after spending 20 minutes in the icy waters Wednesday night.

On release she was taken for questioning by PSNI officers.

Investigators are trying to establish just how she managed to lose her footing on the ferry's deck. One theory is that she may have jumped.

A pram now believed to be Tracey's was found on board the ferry.

Police are trying to establish if a realistic plastic doll may have ended up in the water.

A PSNI spokesman said: "Police do not believe there was a baby in the woman's care on the ferry. Enquiries are continuing."

jason.johnson@the-sun.ie