§87.01. Need of assistance.

33 C.F.R. § 87.01

The following signals, used or exhibited either together or separately, indicate distress and need of assistance:

(a)

A gun or other explosive signal fired at intervals of about a minute;

(b)

A continuous sounding with any fog-signaling apparatus;

(c)

Rockets or shells, throwing red stars fired one at a time at short intervals;

(d)

A signal made by any method consisting of the group . . . - - - . . . (SOS) in the Morse Code;

(e)

A signal sent by radiotelephony consisting of the spoken word “Mayday”;

(f)

The International Code Signal of distress indicated by N.C.;

(g)

A signal consisting of a square flag having above or below it a ball or anything resembling a ball;

(h)

Flames on the vessel (as from a burning tar barrel, oil barrel, etc.);

(i)

A rocket parachute flare or a hand flare showing a red light;

(j)

A smoke signal giving off orange-colored smoke;

(k)

Slowly and repeatedly raising and lowering arms outstretched to each side;

(l)

A distress alert by means of digital selective calling (DSC) transmitted on:

(i)

VHF channel 70, or

(ii)

MF/HF on the frequencies 2187.5 kHz, 8414.5 kHz, 4207.5 kHz, 6312 kHz, 12577 kHz or 16804.5 kHz;

(m)

A ship-to-shore distress alert transmitted by the ship's Inmarsat or other mobile satellite service provider ship earth station;

(n)

Signals transmitted by emergency position-indicating radio beacons;

(o)

Signals transmitted by radiocommunication systems, including survival craft radar transponders meeting the requirements of 47 CFR 80.1095; and

(p)

A high intensity white light flashing at regular intervals from 50 to 70 times per minute.

Notes, amendments, and revision history

Authority: Sec. 303, Pub. L. 108-293, 118 Stat. 1042 (33 U.S.C. 2071); Department of Homeland Security Delegation No. 0170.1.

Source: 79 FR 37925, July 2, 2014, unless otherwise noted.