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AUTHORITIES HOPE YOU MIGHT RECOGNIZE. KATE THE COAST GUARD SAYS THIS : IS THEIR BUSIEST TIME OF THE YEAR. MORE BOATERS THANKS TO TOURI COMMERCIAL FISHING MEANS MORE DISTRESS CALLS. >> MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY, GOING WITH THE SHIP. KATE THE COAST GUARD BELIEVES : THAT THIS DISTRESS CALL IS A FAKE. PART OF A DANGEROUS PATTERN PUTTING LIVES AT RISK. SINCE LATE MARCH, THE COAST GUARD SAYS, WATCHSTANDERS HAVE RECEIVED AT LEAST 15 SUSPECTED HOAX MAYDAY CALLS FROM THE SAME PERSON, TRANSMITTING FROM THE OCEAN CITY AREA LIKELY ON LAND OR CLOSE TO IT, AND ON MARIN RADIO, VHF, FM, CHANNEL 16, WHICH IS RESERVED FOR EMERGENCIES. OPERATIONS SPECIALIST FIRST CLASS KAYLA GAMESTER TOOK TWO OF THE CALL >> THE REASON WE SUSPECT IT IS A HOAX IS BECAUSE THERE IS BACK RYAN -- BACKGROUND NOISE THAT YOU DON’T USUALLY HEAR IN A DISTRESS SUCH AS LAUGHING AND THERE ARE VOICES THAT SEEM CALM. SOME OF THE WORDING THAT IS USED IN THE CALLS, THERE IS PROFANITY 8AND THINGS PEOPLE GENERALLY WOULDN’T SAY IF THEY WERE IN A DISTRESS SITUATION. K: EVEN IF IT SEEMS FAKE, THE COAST GUARD STILL RESPONDS LIKE IT IS REAL, THESE ARE NAUTICAL 911 CALLS. AND THE AGENCY SAYS THERE WAS A RESPONSE TO EVERY CALL IN THIS STRING, EVEN A 47 FOOT MOT LIFEBOAT ON MARCH 31. >> THERE IS INHERENT DANGER ANYTIME WE SEND OUT AN ASSET BE IT A BOAT OR AN AIRCRAFT. AND PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT ON THE WATER ARE ALSO IN DANGER BECAUSE WE’RE NOT THERE TO RESPOND IF THEY NEED U KATE: IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION YOUR ASKED TO CONT

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The U.S. Coast Guard is seeking the public's help to identify a suspected hoax caller who has been transmitting distress calls since late March around Ocean City.The Coast Guard said watchstanders in the region have received a steady stream of suspected or confirmed hoax radio calls that are believed to be from the same person.The calls in Ocean City were made on VHF-FM marine band channel 16, a channel designated only for hailing and distress calls. The caller has stated that they were "going down with the ship" and regularly broadcasts "mayday, mayday, mayday," along with a string other calls and including profanity.| Listen to the audio |Operations Spc. 1st Class Kayla Gamester took two of the calls."The reason we suspect it's a hoax is because there is background noise that you don't usually hear in a distress, such as laughing, and there are voices that seem calm," Gamester said. "Some of the wording that's used in the calls, there's profanity and things people generally wouldn't say if they were in a distress situation."The Coast Guard said the summer is their busiest time of the year with more boaters out and about thanks to tourism and commercial fishing, which means more distress calls."Hoax calls put other boaters and first responders at risk," Cmdr. Mathew Fine, the deputy commander of Sector Maryland-National Capital Region, said in a statement. "We take every call seriously, which means that hoax calls waste valuable resources that could be used for real distress cases. The Coast Guard has expended resources responding to this one caller, which is unfair to the taxpayers and puts other mariners at risk."The Coast Guard responded to every call in this string, even a 47-foot motor lifeboat on March 31."There is inherent danger anytime we send out an asset, be it a boat or an aircraft, and people that are out on the water are also in danger because we're not there to respond if they need us," Gamester said.Penalties for making a false distress call can include up to 10 years in prison, $250,000 in fines, plus the cost of the search."If you think you recognize the voice, or know who has been making these calls, please let us know," Fine said. "This is the busiest time of the year for us, and we need to direct all of our resources to helping people who are actually in distress."Anyone with information is asked to email the Coast Guard Investigative Service at cgis-baltimore@uscg.mil.