What action should you take upon hearing the distress signal Mayday on radio?

• A. Ignore and continue
• B. Turn off radio
• C. Acknowledge and assist
• D. Notify shore station only

Answer: (C)

Hearing a Mayday signals immediate danger and a call for urgent help at sea. The priority is to acknowledge the distress and offer assistance if you are able. Acknowledging means confirming you heard the call and identifying yourself so the vessel in distress knows you are listening and ready to help. From there, gather essential details if you can provide help—location or bearing if you know it, what type of distress is happening, how many people are aboard, and what kind of assistance is needed. Then, coordinate or provide the necessary aid yourself if it’s within your capability, or relay the information to shore stations or rescue coordinators to marshal other resources.

Turning off the radio or ignoring the Mayday would waste precious time and could cost lives, while simply notifying shore stations without offering or coordinating direct assistance isn’t sufficient when you are in a position to help. If you can’t assist directly, you still maintain the watch and pass along information to the appropriate authorities so they can arrange rescue.