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Coast Guard Seeks Public Help For Hoax Calls
3 False Emergencies Reported To Safety Officials
POSTED: 4:58 pm EDT October 5,
2008
UPDATED: 9:29 am EDT October 6,
2008
BOSTON -- The Coast Guard is asking for the public's help in tracing several distress calls in northern New England in recent weeks that officials said were probably hoaxes.
VideoThe radio distress call came into the command center in Boston at about 1:30 p.m. on Saturday from a man who said he was aboard a boat that hit the rocks near Hampton Bridge, N.H., according to the Coast Guard.
"We hit a boat down here by Hampton Bridge. We're going down. We hit the rocks. We got people in the water."When the call was investigated by the Hampton drawbridge operator, there were no signs of any boat in trouble.A second call came on Sept. 26: "Hello, we're out by the bridge over here. The boat's going down."Transcripts from a third call that was received on Sept. 14 went like this:Boater 1: "Mayday, mayday."Boater 2: "Try the Hampton River. A boat went down."The Coast Guard said it treats every distress call like it's real. In all three cases, it sent boats. In the first case, it even sent a rescue helicopter from Cape Cod.The Coast Guard said it responded to another distress call in northern New England last month that also turned out to be a hoax. Chief Petty Officer Christopher Wheeler said false distress calls cost tens of thousands of dollars each and put Coast Guard crews and the boating public in danger."There's no way to really discern whether they're fake or not," Coast Guard Petty Officer Adam Bure said.In every incident, the caller tied up resources and rescue crews found nothing."Eventually, they're probably going to cost somebody their life. If you cry wolf a number of times, it's just a matter of time," said Roland Souriolle, of Seabrook, N.H.Investigators said they hope someone recognizes the voice from the calls and notifies authorities. Hoax distress calls placed to the Coast Guard are classified as a felony punishable by up to six years in prison and a fine of $250,000.The Coast Guard said the hoax calls have already cost them tens of thousands of dollars.
VideoThe radio distress call came into the command center in Boston at about 1:30 p.m. on Saturday from a man who said he was aboard a boat that hit the rocks near Hampton Bridge, N.H., according to the Coast Guard.|
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