Coast Guard Seeking Info About Possible Hoax Distress Call

The Coast Guard is asking for the public's help with any information about whether a distress call over the weekend was genuine or whether it was a hoax.

It started out with a scary distress call to the U.S. Coast Guard from a man who said his boat capsized off the coast of Kennebunkport. He said he was with three children and that they were all in the water, wearing life jackets. A search was launched, using both ships and aircraft. But after searching more than 1,500 square nautical miles, the search was suspended when no sign of people, a boat, or debris was found in the water.

Now, Coast Guard officials are seeking information, to determine whether it was a genuine call or a hoax. Captain Brian Lefebvre, Commander of the Coast Guard Sector Northern New England, said in a media release, "Additional information may aid in our closure of the case and offer a degree of finality to the many rescuers who dedicated their time and effort toward this search effort."

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Coast Guard at (207) 741-5478.