Audio released as USCG confirms hoax
Following a US Coast Guard search and rescue effort to find 21 people reportedly abandoned ship from the distressed 'M/Y Blind Date' 17.5 miles east of NJ, the USCG this morning confirmed that the call has been determined to be a probable hoax.…
Following a US Coast Guard (USCG) search and rescue effort to find 21 people reportedly abandoned ship from the distressed M/Y Blind Date 17.5 miles east of Sandy Hook, NJ, the USCG this morning confirmed that the call has been determined to be a probable hoax.
At this morning’s press briefing, Captain Gregory Hitchen, Deputy Commander of Coast Guard Sector New York, discussed the USCG response to the call and the search, and said that the case has been turned over to the USCG Investigative Services. One indicator that the call was a hoax was identified by the radio tower, which said the call came from a line of bearing that did not match with the vessel’s reported location.
The call to the authorities happened over VHF channel 14 at approximately 4.30pm (New York time) and caller, who sounds like an adult male, said he was the captain of “M/Y Blind Date”, which had suffered an explosion and was taking on water as a result; no flag registration or further identification, including the length of the reportedly distressed vessel, was provided.
Representatives from Trinity, which built the 50m M/Y Blind Date, confirmed yesterday that this vessel was not near the area and that it is in Fort Lauderdale, preparing for a transatlantic crossing.
At noon today, the USCG released the audio from the probable hoax call, which may help with identification of the caller. To hear the audio, click on the embedded video below or follow this link: https://youtu.be/fTWyoYYT7l8
During this distress call, he told the emergency services that he was standing on the bridge in three-and-a-half feet of water, communicating via a solar powered radio because the on board power was out. At one point he said there were three casualties on board and a further 20 people had abandoned ship, nine of whom had sustained severe burns injuries. However the figures the caller gave for the people on board, and the number of dead and injured, varied in the call and another he made. There was no indication of whether those he mentioned were crew, guests or both.
Yesterday’s effort saw the launch of four USCG search-and-rescue helicopters to sweep the area, along with a number of additional aircraft from other agencies, which in itself brings a significant degree of danger to the helicopter pilots and crews. Two USCG surface vessels were also launched to search an area of approximately 638 square nautical miles, and some 200 shoreside personnel were on standby during the search. The search effort was called off at 10pm, at which point the USCG determined that the call was a probable hoax, say official reports.
Not only does hoax calling waste valuable taxpayers’ money, it occupies the time and attention of the emergency services when there could be genuine emergencies taking place. There is currently no exact determination of the cost to the USCG and other emergency services involved in yesterday’s event, but this can easily reach into the tens of thousands of US dollars or more for such an extensive search-and-rescue effort. Reports have estimated the cost of this search to be in the region of $300,000.
It is a federal crime to make false distress calls of this nature, and those caught can be sentenced to up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and reparations to the emergency services for their associated costs. In 2011 there were 60 hoax calls made nationwide, which was significantly down on the previous year, said the USCG.
Each incident is thoroughly investigated if there is sufficient evidence available; in recent years a number of investigations have resulted in the identification and punishment of hoax callers in Ohio, Michigan, Washington state and Massachusetts. The most recent was in January 2010, in Massachusetts, when the defendant pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment followed by 24 months’ supervised release, and ordered to pay $56,000-plus in restitution to the USCG. A similar case involved 18 months’ imprisonment followed by 36 months’ supervised release, and an $82,000 fine. Two other cases since 2004 involved restitutions to the order of almost $200,000 and $112,000, respectively.
There is currently a $3,000 reward offered information leading to the arrest and prosecution of the person responsible for making the false distress call. Anyone with information regarding this probable hoax is encouraged to anonymously contact the USCG Investigative Service at (+1) 212-668-7048 or (+1) 646-872-5774.
Two Coast Guard boat crews and four Cost Guard helicopter crews searched approximately 638 square nautical miles for the vessel. Credit: Corbis.
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