Sec.  80.1121   Receipt and acknowledgement of distress alerts by ship stations and
ship earth stations.

   (a) Ship or ship earth stations that receive a distress alert must, as soon
   as possible, inform the master or person responsible for the ship of the
   contents of the distress alert.

   (b) For VHF and MF, ships in receipt of a distress alert shall not transmit
   a distress alert relay, but should listen on the distress traffic channel
   for 5 minutes and, if appropriate, acknowledge the alert by radiotelephony
   to the ship in distress and inform the coast station and/or Rescue
   Coordination Center. Distress alert relays to “all ships” on these bands may
   only be sent by a ship who has knowledge that another ship in distress is
   not itself able to transmit the distress alert, and the Master of the ship
   considers that further help is necessary.

   (c) For HF, ships in receipt of a distress alert shall listen on the
   distress traffic channel for 5 minutes. If no distress communications are
   heard and if the call is not acknowledged by a coast station, the ship shall
   transmit a distress relay on HF to the coast radio station and inform the
   Rescue Coordination Center. Distress alert relays to “all Ships” on HF may
   only be sent by a ship who has knowledge that another ship in distress is
   not itself able to transmit the distress alert, and the Master of the ship
   considers that further help is necessary.

   (d) In cases where distress alert continues to be received from the same
   source, the ship may, after consultation with the Rescue Coordination
   Center, transmit a DSC acknowledgment to terminate the call.

   (e) A ship station in receipt of a shore-to-ship distress alert relay (see
    Sec. 80.1113(e)) should establish communication as directed and render such
   assistance as required and appropriate.

   [ 51 FR 31213 , Sept. 2, 1986, as amended at  68 FR 46980 , Aug. 7, 2003]