WELLS, Maine — The U.S. Coast Guard has released audio from the mayday call as the search for a missing man and three children continues.
According to the Coast Guard, the call came in and was quickly lost around 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, October 5.
The caller says, "Mayday. Mayday. Children are in the water now and I got to bail out. And we're all just going to all huddle together and I'm going to try to get us back on top of the Jon Boat. The Jon Boat is flipped over at this time. I'm going to try to get the kids on the boat--on the top of the boat if possible. If not, we're all just going to huddle in the water."
The caller speaks calmly. To listen, click the link to the @USCGNortheast tweet below.
The search area is focused in the waters 10 nautical miles off the coast of Kennebunkport.
The caller in distress says he and three children had been aboard a 14-foot Jon Boat when they ran into trouble. Before their last communication, the Coast Guard was told the group was all wearing orange life vests.
The search area extends ten nautical miles to the east off a stretch of coast from Kennebunkport to Perkins Cove in Ogunquit and spans 120 square miles.
The search includes crews from stations in South Portland and Portsmouth, N.H. The Cutter Reefshark is providing support on the water while a helicopter from the station in Cape Cod is providing air support.
Fishermen our reporters spoke to in Ogunquit say it was a relatively calm day out on the water. However, they say a 14 foot Jon Boat would certainly struggle that far off the coast, even in the most mild conditions.
The fishermen say they heard a call from the Coast Guard, asking for boaters to be on the lookout for the 14 foot Jon Boat approximately 7 miles east of Perkins Cove in Ogunquit.
NEWS CENTER Maine will update this story as new information becomes available.