Mayday!

Written By:  Andrew Eide

In a previous article I wrote about May Day which is a May 1^st celebration. Today I will discuss “mayday” which is a distress signal usually used by mariners and aviators to signal they are in distress.

The word used as an international distress signal in voice radio communications is mayday which is derived from the French venez m’aider, which means “come help me”

Mayday is used to signal a life-threatening emergency, but in some countries local organizations such as police, firefighters, and transportation companies, may also use the term. The call is always given three times in a row:  MAYDAY! MAYDAY! MAYDAY! to prevent anyone from mistaking it for a similar-sounding phrase under noisy communications conditions. This also distinguishes an actual Mayday call from a message discussing a Mayday call.

Mayday calls are allowed on any radio frequency. When a Mayday call is made no other radio traffic is allowed except to assist in the emergency. Mayday calls may only be made when life or craft is in imminent danger of death or destruction. A Mayday situation is one in which a vessel (boat or ship), aircraft, vehicle, or person is in imminent or grave danger and they require immediate assistance. Examples of grave and imminent danger, in which a Mayday call would be appropriate include:  fire, explosion or sinking.

The recommended distress call format is to use the word “mayday” spoken three times, followed by the vessel’s name or call sign, also spoken three times, and then “mayday” and the name or call sign again. Vital information such as the position, nature of the emergency, the type of assistance required, and the number of people on board, should follow. A typical Mayday message might be as follows:

            MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY, this is VESSELNAME, VESSELNAME,

            VESSELNAME, MAYDAY, VESSEL NAME. Position 54 25 North 016 33 West.

            My boat is on fire and sinking. I require immediate assistance. Four people on

            board, are taking a lifeboat. MAYDAY VESSEL NAME, OVER.

Making a hoax Mayday call is a criminal act in most countries, because of the danger to the rescuers’ lives during the search-and-rescue operations, and the potential that while responding to a hoax Mayday call a real Mayday call may not be responded to in time to provide assistance.

Thank you for reading my article today concerning the use of the Mayday distress call. Remember to use it only when absolutely necessary and please do not perpetrate a hoax Mayday distress call. In the United States making a hoax Mayday call is classified as a Federal Crime which can carry up to six years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. Yikes!