Last week we posted about a distress call to the Coast Guard reporting a yacht explosion off the New Jersey shore, which was an apparent hoax.  The search and rescue operation which resulted is estimated to have cost over $300,000.  Now the Coast Guard is noting the similarities in an distress call received near Galveston, Texas on May 20 which is also believed to have been a hoax.  In both cases the caller used a high frequency Coast Guard Vessel Traffic Service radio channel, a channel not typically used for reporting emergencies. The phrasing and terminology used in both hoax calls was also very similar. and may have reflected a knowledge of Coast Guard procedures.  The voice on the calls was very similar and is now being analysed by experts.

Coast Guard: Similarities in Texas, N.J. hoax calls

Making a false call is a federal felony, with a maximum penalty of six years in prison, a $250,000 fine and reimbursement to the Coast Guard for the cost of performing the search.