The U.S. Coast Guard is warning that false distress calls on the Great Lakes are tying up crews and resources that could be needed in real emergencies.
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Since October 2025, the Coast Guard's Great Lakes District has received 156 false distress calls, including 3 confirmed hoaxes.
Petty Officer Mike Lauofo, a Great Lakes District public affairs specialist, said crews respond to every call as though a life is on the line.
"We respond them all the same way, we treat every one as if someones life is on the line."
Officials say a false distress call can result from a misunderstanding, an accidental transmission, or a lack of verified information. Hoax calls are different — those involve someone knowingly making a false report, which is a federal felony.
In either case, the calls carry a significant cost.
"Generally speaking it can be thousands of dollars by the hour," Lauofo said.
"We are incurring risk that otherwise wouldn't have to be, you're putting personnel back on the water, that could fatigue crew member, now we are diverting life saving resources from another case."
If a false alert is sent by accident, officials say people should contact the Coast Guard immediately to report it.
I stopped by the Two Rivers Fire Department to ask whether their water rescue team has faced similar situations.
Two Rivers Fire Chief David Murack said his department's experience differs from the Coast Guard's.
"We don't get false distress calls, we get calls where somebody may be looking at a situation where they feel someone is in distress."
Murack said the department's water rescue team has been dispatched 3 times this month — 2 of those calls resulted in performed rescues, and the third was a self-rescue.
The Coast Guard encourages everyone on the Great Lakes to check weather conditions before heading out, as conditions can change quickly. Officials also urge boaters to carry proper devices to contact help and to always wear a life jacket.
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