MARIGOT--French-side sea rescue service SNSM is once again appealing to those persons who, whether for fun or by accident, are deploying distress flares without realizing the sighting of flares amounts to an emergency on the part of the sea rescue service, not to mention the hours spent by volunteers on a fruitless mission to find a vessel in distress.
The appeal follows the latest false alarm for SNSM. A call was received from surveillance centre CROSS at 7:45pm on November 30, concerning a distress flare spotted between Pinel Island and Orient Bay.
SNSM was preparing to depart with a team of volunteer rescuers on Friday evening when the Gendarmes finally determined that the shot came from a shore-based residence, and the mission was cancelled.
“Not even a week after our last unsuccessful four-and-a-half-hour night search at sea, following four distress rocket launches southwest of Anguilla, three rescue boats, a helicopter and a Falcon 250 Aircraft had all been deployed for nothing as this turned out to be a false alarm,” SNSM President René-Jean Duret disclosed. “SNSM is therefore again issuing a reminder that hand lights or red flares should only be used in the event of a real emergency.
“If you launch a rocket accidentally or by mistake at least have the decency and take the initiative to immediately notify CROSS AG (at 196) or the Gendarmerie (at 17) to say that there is no distress, in order to avoid needlessly mobilising emergency resources and being prosecuted.”
He added that in accordance with Article. 322-14 of the Penal Code, the act of unnecessarily causing the deployment of human and material means of assistance can result in a fine of up to 30,000 euros and two years' imprisonment for the perpetrator.
