Tag Archives: Hoax Distress Calls
Coast Guard seeks public assistance with hoax caller in Maine
The Coast Guard is asking for the public’s help after receiving suspected search and rescue hoax distress calls over the weekend. Between late Friday morning and early Saturday afternoon, the Coast Guard’s Northern New England command center received multiple reports about a boat in distress. Officials believe the calls likely came from somewhere near Mount Desert Island or the nearby islands. In response, the Coast Guard launched several boats and worked with three local agencies to search the area for hours. However, no boats or people in distress were found. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:10
Mayday Distress Call Audio: Coast Guard warns against false distress calls after suspected hoax
Over several minutes the caller described the vessel and crew’s situation in detail,,, Communication then ceased as Coast Guard rescue crews from Rockland and Cape Cod, Massachusetts, launched to search for the vessel and potential survivors. “Our Coast Guard rescue crews thrive on taking risks for the sake of helping others in distress on the water,” said Capt. Brian LeFebvre, commanding officer of Coast Guard Sector Northern New 
England. “Hoax distress calls – like the one we received this morning – unnecessarily put our rescue crews at risk, drain resources, and may limit our ability to respond to actual emergencies. Today’s hoax is particularly offensive given the loss of 4 fishermen aboard the F/V Emmy Rose just last week. We will use all available resources to identify and hold the responsible individual accountable.” >Audio, click to read the report< 18:01
Fairhaven man sentenced for making hoax distress calls to U.S. Coast Guard
A Fairhaven man was sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Boston in connection with sending three false distress messages to the U.S. Coast Guard over the radio. Roger Martin, 47, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to one year of probation and ordered to pay $7,182 in restitution to the U.S. Coast Guard. In August 2016, Martin pleaded guilty to three counts of sending false distress messages to the U.S. Coast Guard and one count of identity fraud. Martin, in three separate calls, claimed that he was on a boat in the Cape Cod Canal that was sinking. During the calls he impersonated a resident of Fairhaven, providing a name, street address and, on one occasion, date of birth. Martin had obtained the date of birth through the improper use of a law enforcement database through his former employment as a Bristol Country Sheriff’s dispatcher. In response to the calls, the U.S. Coast Guard and local law enforcement expended resources ascertaining that there was no true emergency and attempting to track down the hoax caller. Link 12:57
Massachusetts man pleads guilty to making hoax distress calls to Coast Guard
A Massachusetts man has pleaded guilty to making hoax radio distress calls to the Coast Guard that prompted fruitless searches that wasted time and resources. Prosecutors say 47-year-old Roger Martin, of Fairhaven, made three calls to the Coast Guard in April and May 2015 claiming that he was on a boat on Cape Cod Canal that was sinking. In each case he provided another man’s name, address, and on one occasion, even birth date, that he had obtained improperly from a law enforcement database while working as a dispatcher for the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office. Martin pleaded guilty this week in federal court to three counts of sending false distress messages and one count of identity fraud. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 22. link 14:03
Bad Actor Making Hoax Distress Calls Gets Vinalhaven Island Man a Year in Prison
A 23-year-old Vinalhaven man will spend a year in federal prison for making fake distress calls last year that prompted a wide-ranging Coast Guard search.Owen R. Adair, 23, was sentenced Thursday in U.S. District Court by Judge Nancy Torresen for making the false distress calls on Sept. 30, 2014. Adair repeatedly told the Coast Guard operator that he urgently needed assistance because a crewman on his fishing vessel had sustained a serious injury and was bleeding badly, “In fact, the defendant was not aboard a vessel but was ashore on Vinalhaven Island and was using a VHS radio in his truck,” Read the rest here 22:07
