Hoax distress calls pest Coast Guard

BOSTON -- The Coast Guard is trying to trace the source of several distress calls that could be hoaxes.

The Boston Command Center received a call Saturday from a man who said his boat hit the rocks near the Hampton Bridge in New Hampshire.

The caller said the boat was sinking and people were in the water.

Workers at the bridge heard the call and reported to the Coast Guard by radio that there were no signs of any vessels in distress near the bridge.

The Coast Guard, following procedure to respond to all distress calls as though they are actual emergencies, found no signs of distress after sending two boat crews out.

Two previous calls in September yielded no findings of any vessels in distress.

One search cost more than $54,000.

"False distress calls made to the Coast Guard needlessly place the lives of our crews and the lives of the boating public in danger and waste hundreds of thousands in tax dollars," said Chief Petty Officer Christopher Wheeler, a command duty officer at Coast Guard Sector Northern New England. "We are reaching out to the community in hopes that someone will recognize the callers' voice, and contact us."

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.

Anyone with information that can help authorities identify the caller is encouraged to call Sector Northern New England's command center at 207-767-0303.

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