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Coast Guard officials are investigating a possible link between last week's false distress call reporting a yacht explosion in Sandy Hook, N.J., and another recent distress call off the waters of Galveston, Texas, NBCNewYork.com reported Tuesday.
Coast Guard officials said at a news conference Wednesday they are investigating suspicious similarities between the two calls and trying to see if they are connected, including whether the same male caller made them.
In last Monday's false distress call, a man contacted the Coast Guard on a radio line, reporting an explosion on a boat called the Blind Date about 17 nautical miles east of Sandy Hook.
The Coast Guard is investigating similarities between two false emergency calls in different states.
The caller described himself as the captain in the 20-second call.
"We have three deceased, nine injured. We've had an explosion on board, that's why we're taking on water ... I'm going to stay by the radio as long as I can before I have to go overboard," the caller says in the audio clip released by the Coast Guard.
Listen to the audio on NBCNewYork.com
Read more, see video related to hoax calls on NBCNewYork.com
In a similar distress call in Galveston, Texas in May, a man told the Coast Guard, "This is fishing vessel Scallywag. We're about two miles from the channel... We have an on-board emergency. We are taking on water, sir."
Authorities point out the same terminology was used by both callers and included nonstandard nautical phrases like "taking on water" instead of "sinking." The callers also used terms such as "souls on board" elsewhere in the calls to describe the number of people aboard and "beacon" to described a supposed automatic signaling device on life rafts.
In both cases, the callers specifically contacted a Coast Guard Vessel Traffic Service and said their GPS systems weren't working. The two hoax calls each sparked massive search and rescue efforts.
Coast Guard Capt. Gregory Hitchen said Wednesday that a reporter from the Houston area called its investigative unit after learning of the hoax call in New Jersey.
Earlier report: Coast Guard believes NJ yacht explosion was 'hoax'
NJ hoax distress call came from on land, Coast Guard says
Coast Guard searched area the size of Delaware in Texas distress call
The Texas case had not been declared a hoax when it was made in April, but was classified as an unresolved distress call, Hitchen said. Investigators listened to the audio and "put together enough similarities," he added.
Dennis Walsh, a retired NYPD detective and a forensic audio expert, said while the voice print won’t necessarily identify the caller, it can help with the investigation.
“It makes the interview evidence process easier because it’s really cogent evidence to lay a voice print in front of a suspect,” said Walsh.
Hitchen urged anyone with information about either call to contact investigators.
"These cases are very difficult to solve without help from the public," he said.
There is currently a $3,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest and prosecution of someone involved in the New Jersey call.
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Why release tell tale details about an ongoing investigation? I think somebody likes talking to reporters more than solving crimes. Sounds like a clever ruse for drug trafficing.
The boater who paid the last big fine.
I never could figure out why they give out so much info while they are still investigating. They seem setermined to keep the violators well informed of what the authorities know about them and the crime.
Sounds like they are testing the response time of the coast guard in the gulf and east coast. Like Mike 949 said it might be related to drug traffickers.
drug trafficers or maybe terrorists trying 2 find out how long of response time
Yep, when robbing a bank, start a fire across town.
Not really news. Happens all the time. Always has probably always will.
I'm in agreement with possibly drug running. Keep the Coast Guard preoccupied at a certain location while you bring in cigar boats full of drugs at your now "safe route".
Could be wrong though. Might just be some sick individual who gets off on calling in false alarms. Time should tell.
It does not help, that the entire CG is smaller than the NYC police department and has a lot more area to cover. Think about it.
I enjoyed my time in there . It was real , it was fun . But i will not lie and say it was real fun.
In Vermont, a missing couple's case is closed to the public, but a person or persons make a phony phone call to the Coast Guard is national news. I don't get it.
The Coast Guard should get out of the Search & Rescue part of their mission. If this happened, private companies with Search & Rescue capabilities would be formed. However, there would have to be regulations made as to what capabilities they would have and vessels could pay for Search & Rescue service prior to leaving port. Think of it as an insurance policy on one's life.