February 1, 2021 — A Maine man is charged with making a false distress call to the Coast Guard on Dec. 3, 10 days after four fishermen, including Michael Porper of Gloucester, were lost at sea when the fishing vessel Emmy Rose sank off Cape Cod.
Nathan Libby of Rockland, Maine is charged with making the mayday call to the Coast Guard around 6:30 a.m. on Dec. 3 via VHF-FM radio channel 16.
The caller over several minutes described a 42-foot fishing vessel and its three-man crew, saying the boat was taking on water off Spruceheads, Maine, the rudder was broken and the dewatering pumps could not keep up with flooding.
Based on the call, the Coast Guard began a search that spanned more than five hours, which included the use of a Coast Guard rescue crews from Rockland, Maine, a Maine Marine Patrol vessel, and a helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod.