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Mayday broadcasts over the U.S. Coast Guard Tuklung National Distress Radio High Site near Dillingham have been increasing over the years. In 2004, the Coast Guard received five such radio distress calls that were determined to be probable hoaxes, including three separate incidents of the same young male voice. All five of the maydays received were from young voices and in 2005, the problem has continued with a total of six hoax maydays transmitted by children. The Coast Guard considers any distress broadcast as legitimate until it can be determined to be either a hoax, false alert or probable hoax. A prank call to the Coast Guard can cause a delay in rescue of a distressed person by diverting needed assets from an actual case. The cost to taxpayers can be in excess of $ 11,000.00 per hour. In 2004, a single hoax case in Homer, Alaska cost in excess of one quarter of a million dollars. The perpetrator was caught and convicted. The Coast Guard is asking the community and families in the Dillingham region to assist us in curbing the abuse of the National Distress System. Making a hoax distress call is a Federal felony crime and is punishable by significant jail time, fines and reimbursement for the cost of the search. The Coast Guard is working to install advanced technologies that include direction finding capabilities that can pin point the location of a call on VHF-FM. This technology is part of the new Coast Guard Rescue 21 system and is intended to assist in locating the source of a radio call. The proper instruction techniques can be found at: http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/marcomms/boater.htm. Remember: radios are not toys, they are an important part of communications and could be your only link to rescuers. Call the U.S. Coast Guard Office of Boating Safety at (907) 463-2297, or email mfolkerts@cgalaska.uscg.mil for more information.
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