More VHF: felony mayday

Posted by Adam Bolonsky on Jun 4, 2007

I've done a lot of background into the cause and effects of this one.

It shows what happens when a vhf mayday is made by a skilled caller who has questionalble motives - in this case a commercial fisherman broadcasting a false mayday from shore.

He's a third-generation New England fisherman; it was the second false mayday he made in that many years.

But listen to how precise he is with his location, nature of his problem, rescue resources, etc.

He was arrested and indicted two years later, jailed 2 years and fined nearly $200,000.

That he got caught is testament to how seriously the FCC and the Coast Guard take false mayday broadcasts.

By the way, his call resulted in a multiple-hour search by numerous resources. Nevertheless, it was a skilled call even if he does at one time ask that the Eagle be sent out to give him a hand.

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