Date: Apr. 27, 2005

Contact: Petty Officer Sandra Bartlett
(305) 965-4672

"MAYDAY! MAYDAY! Please! Somebody help!"

Influx of hoax distress calls sends Coast Guard on the hunt 
*WAV files available*

MIAMI -- Recent and false hoax distress calls have the Coast Guard in Miami investigating the source of these broadcasts and asking the public for help.

In the last four weeks, the Sector Miami Coast Guard Command Center in Miami Beach, Fla., has received at least four false mayday calls.

The voice of the caller is believed to have originated from the same source each time. The recordings all contain the words, “Mayday, mayday,” or “Someone, please help!” The calls were deemed a hoax after careful processing by the Coast Guard's Seventh District command center in Miami.

“This guy is too old to be playing these kind of games,” said Senior Chief John Royal, senior command center controller at Sector Miami. “Anyone who makes jokes like this is basically doing the same thing as pulling a fire alarm to see how fast the fire trucks show up.”

These prank calls endanger the lives of Coast Guard personnel who may respond, as well as others who may be in actual distress but cannot be assisted because their calls are not heard or the resources aren't available. 

Under federal law, knowingly and willingly making a false distress call is a felony. The maximum penalty for this offense is five to 10 years in prison, a $5,000 civil fine, a $250,000 criminal fine and reimbursement to the Coast Guard for the costs incurred responding to the call.

If a hoax caller is not caught the taxpaying public incurs the cost of the search. Hoax calls cost the American taxpayer hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.

The audio recordings of these calls are available and the Coast Guard hopes that by broadcasting them through the media someone may identify the voices or know about the prank and provide that information to the Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard is taking steps now to improve its capabilities to track radio distress signals with the Rescue 21 system. This system will allow the Coast Guard to pinpoint the origin of all distress calls. With this new technology, the Coast Guard will be able to track down both legitimate and hoax distress callers quickly, which will minimize the use of Coast Guard assets for unnecessary search and rescue efforts. This will allow the Coast Guard to focus on legitimate distress calls and continue to save lives.

Anyone who has any information on who may have placed these false distress calls is urged to report the suspects to the U.S. Coast Guard at (305)-535-4472 *All calls are confidential. Tipsters can remain anonymous if they choose.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Audio of examples of the hoax calls are available for download by clicking on the following links: Hoax 1 (from Apr. 11), Hoax 2 (from Apr. 18) , and Hoax 3 (from Apr. 27). CD's of the audio are also available for pick up at Coast Guard Sector Miami: 100 MacArthur Causeway, Miami Beach, Fla. Media interested in picking up a CD are asked to call the public affairs office at (305)965-4672.

Interviews will also be made available upon request at the Coast Guard Sector between the hours of 1:30p.m. until 3:00 p.m. Please call (305)965-4672 if interested.

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