Distress

EMERGENCY RADIO CALL PROCEDURES

The distress signal MAYDAY is used to indicate that the calling station is threatened by grave and imminent danger and requests immediate assistance

A MAYDAY call is appropriate if there is a risk of personal injury or loss of life.

1. Make sure the radio is ON.
2. Select Channel 16
3. Press/hold the Transmit Button
4. Clearly say MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY
5. THIS IS

   • Vessel name and/or description (not more than three times)
   • Position and/or location
   • Nature of emergency
   • Number of people on board
   • Vessel name and/or description (once)

6. OVER
7. Release Transmit Button
8. Wait for 10 seconds-If no response repeat MAYDAY call.

Example:

MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY
THIS IS SEA KAYAK JOE, SEA KAYAK JOE, SEA KAYAK JOE
POSITION ONE DECIMAL FIVE KILOMETERS SOUTHWEST OF CAPE WONDER
ONE FELLOW KAYAKER UNCONSCIOUS - APPARENT HEART ATTACK
POD OF FOUR SEA KAYAKS TWO YELLOW ONE RED ONE BLUE
SEA KAYAK JOE OVER.

Response to mayday:

MAYDAY (once)
SEA KAYAK JOE, SEA KAYAK JOE, SEA KAYAK JOE
THIS IS
WINDSONG   WINDSONG   WINDSONG
RECEIVED MAYDAY
I am located approximately one kilometer south of your position
Proceeding to your location to render assistance. ETA approximately
one zero minutes. Doctor on board.
WINDSONG OVER.

If you are not able to assist, but have not heard an acknowledgement to the mayday should relay the message to another vessel. Since the range may only be a few kilometers, you may hear a mayday from someone, say, to your west that is not heard by a vessel to the east of your position even though you can hear both. In order to do this, it is important that you have properly recorded the message you received.

If the Coast Guard hears a mayday, they may impose silence on channel 16 - this will be done as follows:

MAYDAY
ALL STATIONS   ALL STATIONS   ALL STATIONS
THIS IS
Point Williams Coast Guard   Point Williams Coast Guard   Point Williams Coast Guard
SEELONCE DISTRESS
Point Williams Coast Guard OUT

When you hear a silence command, do not use channel 16 for any reason (except mayday) until the silence is revoked.

Cancellation of distress will be invokde with the command "SEELONCE FEENEE" (silence fini or silence finished). If you have sent a mayday call and the situation has changed or been resolved, you must send a "seelonce feenee" message to all stations.