(a) The distress alert must identify the station in distress and its position. The distress alert may also contain information regarding the nature of the distress, the type of assistance required, the course and speed of the mobile unit, the time that this information was recorded and any other information which might facilitate rescue.

(b) The format of distress calls and distress messages must be in accordance with ITU-R M.493-13 and ITU-R M.541-9 (both incorporated by reference, see §80.7), as specified in §80.1101.

(c) Ship-to-shore distress alerts are used to alert Rescue Coordination Centers via coast stations or coast earth stations that a ship is in distress. These alerts are based on the use of transmissions via satellites (from a ship earth station or a satellite EPIRB) and terrestrial services (from ship stations and EPIRBs).

(d) Ship-to-ship distress alerts are used to alert other ships in the vicinity of the ship in distress and are based on the use of digital selective calling in the VHF and MF bands. The HF bands should not be used to notify ships in the vicinity unless no response is received within five minutes on VHF or MF.

(e) Shore-to-ship distress alert relays are used by a station or Rescue Coordination Center to relay information about a ship in distress to, as appropriate, all ships, a selected group of ships, or a specific ship by satellite and/or terrestrial means. The distress alert relay must contain the identification of the mobile unit in distress, its position and all other information which might facilitate rescue.

[57 FR 9065, Mar. 16, 1992, as amended at 68 FR 46980, Aug. 7, 2003; 73 FR 4491, Jan. 25, 2008; 76 FR 67617, Nov. 2, 2011]