Emily Batty (Trek Factory), along with potentially thousands of residence and tourists on the island, were sent into a panic when they received a text message warning of an incoming ballistic missile while on a training ride in Hawaii on Saturday.
Emergency officials later confirmed that the push alert was a mistake, according to The Associated Press.
The emergency push alert that Batty received on her mobile phone read in all capital letters "Ballistic missile threat inbound to Hawaii. Seek immediate shelter. This is not a drill."
The alert caused a wide-ranging, full-blown panic across the island and on social media, and was reported in the international press.
According to The Associated Press report, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency spokesman Richard Repoza said it was a false alarm and the agency was trying to determine what happened.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Weather Service later released a public information statement that read, "The Warning Message received by the National Weather Service from Hawaii state officials has been confirmed to be a test message. Repeating, the Warning Message received this morning does not depict a real missile threat. It was a test message."
U.S. Senator from Hawaii Mazie Hirono posted a statement on social media that read, "today’s alert was a false alarm. At a time of heightened tensions, we need to make sure all information released to the community is accurate. We need to get to the bottom of what happened and make sure it never happens again."
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In a report on CNN, Hawaii Governor David Ige confirmed how the mistake happened stating that someone had accidentally "pressed the wrong button."
"It was a mistake made during a standard procedure at the change over of a shift, and an employee pushed the wrong button."
Batty later took to Twitter with her concern and frustration over the false alarm writing, "Ridiculous, you think they would have given everyone a heads up on this. People are crying in shelter and panicking everywhere."
Hawaii is a popular location for professional cyclists to train during the winter months because of its warm climate. Batty is a Canadian cross-country mountain bike specialist. She earned the bronze medal at the world championships in 2016. She competed in the London Olympic Games in 2012 and the Rio Olympic Games in 2016.
She is currently training in Hawaii with Cycling Canada.
