Sec. 80.1117  Procedure for receipt and acknowledgement of distress 
          alerts.

    (a) Acknowledgement by digital selective calling of receipt of a 
distress alert in the terrestrial services must comply with CCIR 
Recommendation 541, which is incorporated by reference.
    (b) Acknowledgement through a satellite of receipt of a distress 
alert from a ship earth station must be sent immediately (see 
Sec. 80.1119).
    (c) Acknowledgement by radiotelephony of receipt of a distress alert 
from a ship station or a ship earth station must be given in the 
following form:
    (1) The distress signal MAYDAY;
    (2) The call sign or other identification of the station sending the 
distress message, spoken three times;
    (3) The words THIS IS (or DE spoken as DELTA ECHO in case of 
language difficulties);
    (4) The call sign or other identification of the station 
acknowledging receipt, spoken three times;
    (5) The word RECEIVED (or RRR spoken as ROMEO ROMEO ROMEO in case of 
language difficulties);
    (6) The distress signal MAYDAY.
    (d) The acknowledgement by direct-printing telegraphy of receipt of 
a distress alert from a ship station must be given in the following 
form:
    (1) The distress signal MAYDAY;
    (2) The call sign or other identification of the station sending the 
distress alert;
    (3) The word DE;
    (4) The call sign or other identification of the station 
acknowledging receipt of the distress alert;
    (5) The signal RRR;
    (6) The distress signal MAYDAY.
    (e) The acknowledgement by direct-printing telegraphy of receipt of 
a distress alert from a ship earth station must be given by the coast 
earth station receiving the distress alert by retransmitting the ship 
station identity of the ship transmitting the distress alert.