Ship Distress Call Believed to Be Hoax

A mayday call to the Coast Guard is now under investigation as a hoax, a crime punishable by up to five years in jail and a fine of about $10,000, authorities said Wednesday.

The distress call came into the Coast Guard station in Ventura about 10 p.m. Tuesday.

“They said they were six miles out from Channel Islands Harbor and were taking waves over the bow of their boat,” Petty Officer Lisa Hoff said.

After the initial call, Hoff said they could not contact them again on the radio and sent out a helicopter and boat to search for the caller.

The search was called off at 1 a.m.

“There were no overdues reported at any of the local harbors and, basically, everyone was in and accounted for,” said Dan Tremper, spokesman for the Los Angeles office of the Coast Guard, the lead agency in the search.

Because no one has been reported missing and the caller’s voice was not “panicky,” Tremper said the mayday call has been deemed a probable hoax.

The Federal Communications Commission will use a variety of techniques to identify Tuesday evening’s pranksters, including radio signals.

“Whenever there is a suspected hoax, it is investigated through the FCC, and they are very good at tracking people down,” Tremper said. “People who are caught are prosecuted heavily on this.”

Prosecution includes up to five years in jail and paying the bill for the rescue. In this case, the helicopter cost roughly $6,000 and the boat and rescue team $4,000.

“It ends up costing the taxpayer a lot of money because by law we have to check every call we get,” he said, adding that if children make the call, the parents are held responsible.

Even worse, Tremper said, when they are out on a search that could be a hoax, resources are not available if a true cry for help comes in.