{"data":{"id":"us/33-cfr-87.01","jurisdiction":"us","citation":"33 CFR 87.01","heading":"Need of assistance.","body":"The following signals, used or exhibited either together or separately, indicate distress and need of assistance:\n(a) A gun or other explosive signal fired at intervals of about a minute;\n(b) A continuous sounding with any fog-signaling apparatus;\n(c) Rockets or shells, throwing red stars fired one at a time at short intervals;\n(d) A signal made by any method consisting of the group . . . - - - . . . (SOS) in the Morse Code;\n(e) A signal sent by radiotelephony consisting of the spoken word “Mayday”;\n(f) The International Code Signal of distress indicated by N.C.;\n(g) A signal consisting of a square flag having above or below it a ball or anything resembling a ball;\n(h) Flames on the vessel (as from a burning tar barrel, oil barrel, etc.);\n(i) A rocket parachute flare or a hand flare showing a red light;\n(j) A smoke signal giving off orange-colored smoke;\n(k) Slowly and repeatedly raising and lowering arms outstretched to each side;\n(l) A distress alert by means of digital selective calling (DSC) transmitted on:\n(i) VHF channel 70, or\n(ii) MF/HF on the frequencies 2187.5 kHz, 8414.5 kHz, 4207.5 kHz, 6312 kHz, 12577 kHz or 16804.5 kHz;\n(m) A ship-to-shore distress alert transmitted by the ship's Inmarsat or other mobile satellite service provider ship earth station;\n(n) Signals transmitted by emergency position-indicating radio beacons;\n(o) Signals transmitted by radiocommunication systems, including survival craft radar transponders meeting the requirements of 47 CFR 80.1095; and\n(p) A high intensity white light flashing at regular intervals from 50 to 70 times per minute.","path":["Title 33—Navigation and Navigable Waters","CHAPTER I—COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY","SUBCHAPTER E—INLAND NAVIGATION RULES","PART 87—ANNEX IV: DISTRESS SIGNALS"],"source_url":"https://www.ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2026-08-25/title-33.xml","current_through":"2026-08-25","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-27T02:25:35Z","sha256":"55394df2abdbde668874bf67f022deaf87ac007ed6a4bed6845465fd690dce24","source_id":"us-cfr","stale":true,"prev":"us/33-cfr-86.03","next":"us/33-cfr-87.02"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}