Sec. 80.1125  Search and rescue coordinating communications.

    (a) The distress signal consists of the word MAYDAY, pronounced in 
radiotelephony as the French expression ``M'aider''. For distress 
traffic by radiotelephony, when establishing communications, calls must 
be prefixed by the distress signal MAYDAY.
    (b) Error correction techniques, in accordance with CCIR 
Recommendation 625 as specified in Sec. 80.1101, must be used for 
distress traffic by direct-printing telegraphy. All messages must be 
preceded by at least one carriage return, a line feed signal, a letter 
shift signal and the distress signal MAYDAY.
    (c) Distress communications by direct-printing telegraphy should be 
in the ARQ mode when ships are communicating directly to the Coast Guard 
or other coast stations on channels which they normally guard. Other 
distress communications, including those on simplex channels provided 
for that purpose, should be in the broadcast forward error correction 
mode. The ARQ mode may subsequently be used when it is advantageous to 
do so.
    (d) The Rescue Coordination Center responsible for controlling a 
search and rescue operation will also coordinate the distress traffic 
relating to the incident or may appoint another station to do so.
    (e) The Rescue Coordination Center coordinating distress traffic, 
the unit coordinating search and rescue operations, or the coast station 
involved may impose silence on stations which interfere with that 
traffic. This instruction may be addressed to all stations or to one 
station only, according to circumstances. In either case, the following 
will be used:
    (1) In radiotelephony, the signal SEELONCE MAYDAY, pronounced as the 
French expression ``silence, m'aider'';
    (2) In narrow-band direct-printing telegraphy normally using 
forward-error correcting mode, the signal SILENCE MAYDAY. However, the 
ARQ mode may be used when it is advantageous to do so.
    (f) Until they receive the message indicating that normal working 
may be resumed (see paragraph (h) of this section), all stations which 
are aware of the distress traffic, and which are not taking part in it, 
and which are not in distress, are forbidden to transmit on the 
frequencies in which the distress traffic is taking place.
    (g) Stations following distress traffic that are able to continue 
normal service may do so when the distress traffic is well established 
and on condition that it observes the provisions of paragraph (f) of 
this section and that it does not interfere with distress traffic.
    (h) When distress traffic has ceased on frequencies which have been 
used for distress traffic, the Rescue Coordination Center controlling a 
search and rescue operation must initiate a message for transmission on 
these frequencies indicating that distress traffic has finished.
    (i) In radiotelephony, the message referred to in paragraph (h) of 
this section consists of:
    (1) The distress signal MAYDAY;
    (2) The call ``Hello all stations'' or CQ (spoken as CHARLIE QUEBEC) 
spoken three times;
    (3) The words THIS IS (or DE spoken as DELTA ECHO in the case of 
language difficulties);
    (4) The call sign or other identification of the station sending the 
message;
    (5) The time when the distress situation has ceased;
    (6) The name and call sign of the mobile station which was in 
distress;

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    (7) The words SEELONCE FEENEE pronounced as the French words 
``silence fini''
    (j) In direct-printing telegraphy, the message referred to in 
paragraph (h) of this section consists of:
    (1) The distress signal MAYDAY;
    (2) The call CQ;
    (3) The word DE;
    (4) The call sign or other identification of the station sending the 
message;
    (5) The time when distress situation has ceased;
    (6) The name and call sign of the mobil station which was in 
distress; and
    (7) The words SILENCE FINI.