Abuse of the maritime radio frequencies is a serious offense and hurts all boaters. If you can help in determining the source of fake calls, please contact the Coat Guard.

Coast Guard seeks public’s help to identify hoax caller near Pamlico Sound, NC

Editors’ Note: Audio edited to omit profanity. Please email d5de@uscg.mil to request audio including profanity.

WILMINGTON, N.C. — The Coast Guard would like the public’s help to identify a suspected hoax caller who has made numerous hoax radio transmissions originating from the Pamlico Sound and Oregon Inlet area.

“The Coast Guard is committed to saving lives,” said Capt. Bion Stewart, the commander of Sector North Carolina. “When someone makes a hoax distress call, we are required to respond. This uses up our limited resources, which may reduce our ability to respond to mariners actually in danger.”

Sector North Carolina watchstanders have received several suspected or confirmed hoax radio calls believed to be from the same individual.

The calls in the Pamlico Sound were made on VHF-FM marine radio channel 16, a channel designated only for hailing and distress calls. The caller has stated that they were “going down” and regularly broadcasts “mayday” or “help” along with a string of other calls, including profanity.

Penalties for making a false distress call can include up to 10 years in prison, $250,000 in fines, plus the cost incurred by the search.

In 2014, Homer Lewis Blackburn from Atlantic Beach was sentenced to 18 months in prison and fined $288,390.80 for making false distress calls to the Coast Guard. Blackburn made a “mayday” call to the Coast Guard claiming he was sinking and abandoning his boat near Cape Lookout and Shackleford Banks. The Coast Guard led a search effort involving the U.S. Marines, the National Park Service and a private salvage company.

“Hoax calls are not funny, nor are they clever,” Stewart said. “They are irresponsible and dangerous. Have no doubt, we are committed to identifying and stopping those who are making hoax calls.”

If you have any information leading to the identification of a hoax caller, please contact the Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) through the Sector North Carolina command center at 910-343-3880. Information leading to the successful identification of the hoax caller may be subject to a reward from CGIS.

A call is considered a hoax when there is an intent to deceive the Coast Guard or emergency responders.

A search using an HC-130 Hercules airplane costs approximately $15,000 per hour, and an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter operates at approximately $10,000 per hour. Boat rescues costs top out at approximately $5,000 per hour.

-USCG-

Today’s Local Notice on Barden Inlet and the still valid 2016 Local Notice that follows are reminders of the extensive shoaling in many inlets and in the corresponding Waterway intersections, as listed in Cruisers Net’s Problem Stretches for every southeast state.

NC BARDEN INLET ATON / SHOALING

MARINERS ARE ADVISED THAT SIGNIFICANT SHOALING EXISTS IN BARDEN INLET AND BACK SOUND BETWEEN BARDEN INLET BUOY 8 (LLNR 29180 [34°37.4681N / 076°31.9342W, 34.624469 / -76.532237]) AND BARDEN INLET BUOY 15 (LLNR 29210 [34°38.0510N / 076°31.1867W, 34.634183 / -76.519779]) TO AN AVERAGE CHANNEL DEPTH OF LESS THAN 3 FEET AT MLW. UNDER THE CURRENT CONDITION OF THE INLET, THE AIDS TO NAVIGATION CAN NO LONGER BE CONFIGURED TO SAFELY MARK A PASSABLE CHANNEL AND THE AIDS TO NAVIGATION WILL BE DISCONTINUED. TWO DANGER SHOAL BUOYS WILL BE PLACED AT EACH END OF THE REMOVED SECTION. MARINERS ARE ADVISED TO USE EXTREME CAUTION WHILE NAVIGATING THIS AREA.

NC – HAZARDS OF NORTH CAROLINA COASTAL INLETS
This notice is to notify mariners about accessing hazardous inlets, to heighten public awareness about the hazards that exist in and around the inlets, and to provide the mariner with available information. Mariners are advised that shoaling conditions exist at following North Carolina coastal inlets:
Oregon Inlet
Hatteras Inlet
Ocracoke Inlet
Barden Inlet
Beaufort Inlet
Bogue Inlet
New River Inlet
Topsail Inlet
Masonboro Inlet
Carolina Beach Inlet
Lockwoods Folly Inlet
Shallotte Inlet
Shoaling conditions increase the potential for groundings. These inlets are subject to continual and sometimes rapid environmental changes. Mariners are highly encouraged to obtain the most recent U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Wilmington, North Carolina District hydrographic survey information, centerline waypoints and controlling depth at: http://www.saw.usace.army.mil/Missions/Navigation/HydrographicSurveys.aspx
Mariners should use caution when navigating in these areas and passage through the inlets is not recommended without local knowledge of the area. The aids to navigation in these inlets may not be charted and may not be marking best water due to continually shifting shoals. Consult Local Notice to Mariners, 5th Coast Guard District for the latest positions and status of aids to navigation: https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?ageName=lnmDistrict®ion=5
To report any aids to navigation discrepancies (missing, damaged, off station, extinguished lights), shoaling, hazards to navigation, or discrepancies on bridge lighting, please contact Sector North Carolina Command Center (910) 343-2200. LNM 17/16