The Coast Guard has released the audio of the distress call that prompted a massive search and rescue mission yesterday afternoon 17.5 miles off the coast of Sandy Hook, New Jersey. The Star-Ledger quotes a Coast Guard spokesman who estimates that the fruitless rescue efforts cost $88,000.
A false distress call came in a year ago nearly to the day from someone with a similar voice. “We are actively looking in to that whether there is any connection to last year,” Coast Guard Capt. Gregory Hitchen told the paper. “It’s my understanding the voice is similar but not necessarily alike.”
The figure of $88,000 spent on the operations "could rise significantly" when the final tally is made, and the Coast Guard is offering a $3,000 reward for information that would help identify and convict whoever made the call. Initiating a false distress call is a federal felony that carries a maximum penalty of 5-10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and reimbursement to the Coast Guard for the cost of performing the search.
