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U.S. Coast Guard suspends search for source of distress call heard by mariners

A U.S. Coast Guard File image of a MH-64 Dolphin helicopter taken March 14, 2014. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Staff Sgt. Christopher Hubenthal)

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — The U.S. Coast Guard searched the Virginia coastline for the source of an apparent mayday distress call.

A Facebook post from the Coast Guard early Sunday morning says that several boaters reported hearing the call from the area of Washington Canyon, which is about 74 miles off the coast of Virginia’s Eastern Shore.


Officials say the distress call didn’t discern an GPS location, or hear a vessel name or nature of distress.

In an update Monday, The Coast Guard says they suspended their search on Sunday around 3:30 p.m. and that the source of the mayday hail was not identified.