Lake Erie - Coast Guard offers $3,500 reward to catch fake 'mayday' caller

[a388sig2]

Got your ears on boys?....

Coast Guard reward to catch fake 'mayday' caller


The U.S. Coast Guard has announced a $3,500 reward for help in catching a man who's made at least 20 fake "mayday" calls on a marine radio operating in the Monroe area.

Coast Guard reward to catch fake 'mayday' caller | Sandusky Register

[mmckenna]

I hope they find this guy.

I was in the Coast Guard in my younger years. The risks of sending out a boat for a simple SAR call are high. Coast Guard sailors can get hurt or killed in the process. It costs money, and most of all, it pull resources away from real calls.

While we could discuss suitable punishments all day long, I think it would do someone like this a lot of good to spend some time working along side these guys, make them get up in the middle of the night in the rain and the cold and go out searching for someone.

[gtaman]

They still haven't caught him. This is from 2010 the minute these would of started happening I would of traced the signal.

[a388sig2]

I've read stories of the FCC's Detroit Field Office coming to town and hunting down pranksters before. My guess is, it's not easy for sporadic claims.

[biomedbob]

There have been directional Marine VHF antennas out for 30 years. Even the big cruise ships have them.
Why can't they set some up in the area and triangulate him?

[VE3CRO]

Probably because he is making short, sporadic calls from a variety of places with a portable. Almost impossible to trace.

[pro106import]

The new "Rescue 21" comms system that they put in place in my AOR here on Long Island Sound could pinpoint the transmitter location within yards. I guess it hasn't been implemented in that area yet.
Bob

[VE3CRO]

The Detroit command centre does have Rescue 21 however pinpointing a transmission and getting to the location before the perp has left is still problimatic.

[russellmaher]

In my years in the Coast Guard the SAR calls I went on were the real thing; no phony distress calls in the bunch. All calls received by CG units are treated as life and death situations, as they should be. It's hard to believe someone is getting a kick out of doing this, and doesn't consider the risk and costs involved for the vessels, aircraft and personnel. What sick minds there are out there. Let's hope the moron(s) involved in these hoaxes are caught and dealt with severely.

God bless the men and women of the U.S.Coast Guard that risk their lives doing their jobs. I am very proud of them all and proud to be counted as one of them.

Russell

[NHdave]

Originally Posted by russellmaher

It's hard to believe someone is getting a kick out of doing this,

Actually it's not hard at all, there are some really stupid, clueless people out there.

[pro106import]

Originally Posted by russellmaher

God bless the men and women of the U.S.Coast Guard that risk their lives doing their jobs. I am very proud of them all and proud to be counted as one of them.

Russell

Thank You for your service Russ.
Been monitoring the USCG since I was 10 years old and know pretty much what they go through. I have helped out in the past with false distress calls in my area here. It is easy. Just get a signal strength reading on the culprit and call the CG station nearest you and pass it on. It may or may not help them, but it never hurts.
I take it that these false distress calls occurred on Ch. 16 ?
Bob

[mikepdx]

What a low life.

[russellmaher]

Thanks to you Bob for your kind words...it was an honor to serve, and as my wife always says, "You'd go back tomorrow if they would take you!" She doesn't know just how true her words are.

The audio recordings of these fake distress calls are all made by the same person with a recognizable voice and the CG stations in that area have a general idea of where those calls came from, but the calls only last a few seconds, not much time to track down. It's only a matter of time and he'll get caught, and let's hope and pray that no one is injured or worse while responding to these hoax calls.

Russell

[doctor795]

Low life individual, hope they catch them
DOCTOR795
US COAST GUARD1973-1980 RM1

[mikepdx]

Hopefully this is in place at the Great Lakes:

USCG Rescue 21 can more accurately identify the location of callers in distress
via towers that generate lines of bearing to the source of VHF radio
transmissions, thereby significantly reducing search time.
Rescue 21 extends coverage out to a minimum of 20 nautical miles from
the coastline. It improves information sharing and coordination with the
Department of Homeland Security and other federal, state and local first
responders, and can also identify suspected hoax calls, conserving valuable
Rescue 21 response resources.

Rescue 21 info at uscg.mil

[kb8swr]

here is one recording of the fake calls . 101125-G-ZZ999-003

[Wyandotte]

Originally Posted by kb8swr

here is one recording of the fake calls . 101125-G-ZZ999-003

That is kinda of a distinguishing voice. I can't shag the feeling that if the TV stations in the Detroit and Toledo area played that video a few times, someone would call and say "I know that dude".

[russellmaher]

Originally Posted by doctor795

Low life individual, hope they catch them
DOCTOR795
US COAST GUARD1973-1980 RM1

They're not low life people....they're NO life people, and I too hope they're caught real soon.

Good to have another Coastie on the forums, and THANK YOU! for your service.


Russell

[russellmaher]

Originally Posted by Wyandotte

That is kinda of a distinguishing voice. I can't shag the feeling that if the TV stations in the Detroit and Toledo area played that video a few times, someone would call and say "I know that dude".

It would be terrific if that were to happen...someone that recognizes the voice turns the bum in, and then refuses the reward saying "I just want him off the streets and in a facility that can treat his problem."


Russell