Hoax Rescue off St Lucie Inlet

[Latitude9.5]

Hope no one has posted this, but I started hearing the calls while at work and had wondered what the heck people were doing out in that weather, then I read this today...

The Coast Guard has called of its search for six missing boaters after information came to light suggesting there may not be any missing boaters.

The Coast Guard started their search for six people after receiving a distress call from a vessel around 6 p.m. Tuesday stating it was sinking six miles east of the Port St. Lucie Inlet in Port St. Lucie. The caller stated that they had lifejackets on the vessel. No other information about the vessel or the people aboard was transmitted before SAR coordinators lost contact with the vessel.

Sea conditions in the area at the time of the search were 8-to-10 foot seas and approximately 20 knot winds.

Two vessels from Coast Guard Station Fort Pierce, Fla., a HU-25 Falcon jet crew from Coast Guard Air Station Miami and a Port St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office helicopter were searching before the search was called off.

I just wanted to tar and feather these people.

[hellosailor]

The USCG were supposed to get budgeted for new communications gear as part of their "System 2001" or whatever they called it, especially after that father and son drowned on a breakwater because the watchstander dismissed it as a fake call and no other station picked it up. Part of the proposal was specifically the same RDF equipment that fisherman have used for 30 years, so they could RDF on maydays and falses alike.

I wonder where the money went, and how long "pennywise pound foolish" can last?

[Latitude9.5]

We even had RDF'S on the sea tow boats.

[David M]

They have multiple RDF's on the SF Bay which are used for triangulation along with portable ones....don't try a false distress call here. The Coasties can walk right up to your boat in a marina and bust your rear end.