It appears that yesterday's "yacht explosion" 17 miles off the coast of New Jersey is likely a hoax, and one that may prove costly for whoever called it in. “Making a false distress call is a federal felony,” the Coast Guard noted in a statement, adding that the maximum penalty is 5 to 10 years is prison and a $250K fine.
"We had a pretty clear transmission reporting there had been an explosion with injuries," Coast Guard Lieutenant Joe Klinker told the Star-Ledger. "Our protocol is to treat this as a legitimate distress." Coast Guard and local law enforcement (including the NYPD) responded with helicopters and boats, and more than 200 rescue workers responded on the coastline at Sandy Hook.
But the distress call DID ask if the Coast Guard's refrigerator was running visibility and search conditions were excellent, and any trace of an explosion would have likely been found. Also, no patients were being received by EMS for injuries. The Times found that three yachts are registered as "Blind Date" but couldn't confirm that any of them were in the area.
The Coast Guard is still investigating the case as a hoax, which are "not uncommon" in the New York area, and expect to have more information later today.
Update: The Coast Guard is now offering a $3,000 reward for prosecution of the hoaxer.
