http://www.king5.com/topstories/stories ... cef99.html12:40 PM PDT on Wednesday, July 23, 2008
By DREW MIKKELSEN / KING 5 News
SEATTLE - Coast Guard officers have called off their search for the source of a radio call Tuesday from a young girl who identified herself only as "Kelsey" and are now investigating whether the call was a hoax.
The little girl who said she was 6 years old called the Coast Guard about 6:15 p.m. Tuesday, saying that someone with her - possibly named "Kelly" - was "in the water" and was "not waking up." Coast Guard officers say the girl stopped transmitting before additional information could be gathered.
The transmission was picked up on radio towers in southern Puget Sound. Fearing the little girl was in trouble and alone on a boat, a Coast Guard helicopter crew from Port Angeles and a small boat crew from Seattle searched the area around Fox Island, about 10 miles west of Tacoma, where they believe the call was made.
After searching the area overnight and questioning about a hundred vessels in the area, Coast Guard officials called off the search Wednesday morning after finding no sign of the little girl.
The Coast Guard says they're not leaning towards thinking this may have been a hoax, but after hearing the call for help, they had to take it seriously.
"What has us really concerned is this might be a hoax call," said Capt. Steve Metruck, U.S. Coast Guard. "We don't know because it's a mystery at this point. If it is a hoax, it's particularly heinous in our view using a child to perpetrate such a hoax mayday call. We spent nine hours searching with both vessels and aircraft, covered hundreds of miles, contacted hundreds of boaters. These resources could have been used for other purposes."
"In this case, perhaps there wasn't another search and rescue case, but if somebody does this and there was another search and rescue case, we would have been pulled away and would not have been able to help the people that really needed the assistance," he added.
Coast Guard officials reported no overdues or missing persons. Coast Guard boats in the area were also investigating a flare sighting Tuesday night, but they say that was a separate incident.
If another call for help is made or if something suspicious is spotted in the area, the Coast Guard will resume its search. Anyone who can provide additional information is requested to contact Coast Guard Sector Seattle at 206-217-6001.
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