[Cagey]

Yes, 16 should only be used for distress and hailing. This sounds like a prank but the Coast Guard is pretty good lately in tracking where distress calls come from and maybe they'll catch the person that did this.

[MrsEmmaPeel]

Out my office window is Portland harbor. I saw one helicopter hover (without moving from side to side) for 3 minutes -- I timed him. He was only a couple hundred feet above the water. I was thinking at the time that I was watching one skilled pilot in action. He would go away, circle another area, then hover again. This went on at about 12:30 EST (lunchtime) for about an hour. The bridge was closed after midnight, but clearly they were still looking for something 12 hours later.