On August 27, 2024, police in Dover, Delaware, helped rescue a boat stranded at sea more than 3,650 miles away when a distress call destined for Dover, England, was mistakenly routed to local dispatch.
According to police, at around 3:36 p.m. that day, the Dover police received an emergency call from a person from Albania who needed help because her brother’s boat sank in the English Channel off the coast of Dover (England).
As the officers discovered, the man had panicked and searched the internet for the “Dover Police Department” and thought he was calling England. Instead, he had called the emergency services in Delaware, thousands of miles away.
According to law enforcement officials, communications operator MacKenzie Atkinson kept the person on the line and gathered information – including the vessel’s coordinates at sea – and followed protocols for assisting a vessel in distress.
While she was speaking with the caller, officials said, a colleague, Connor Logan, was making emergency calls around the world to alert authorities in England, France and the U.S. Coast Guard to get help to the ship as quickly as possible.
“Just 15 minutes and 48 seconds after the first distress call, the Maritime and Coast Guard confirmed that they were en route to rescue the vessel,” officials said in a statement.
On September 5, 2024, officials in Delaware learned that the ship – and everyone on board – had safely returned to the port of Dover, England.
“When people hear me say I work with great people, they usually infer that I’m talking about sworn police officers. But let me be clear, I mean everyone,” Police Chief Thomas Johnson of the Dover Police Department said in a statement. “The Dover Police Department has exceptional civilian employees who contribute to our public safety mission. Our communications staff are great examples of this and never get enough credit for being first responders. In this case, their ability to coordinate an international rescue effort while keeping our local community safe is a testament to their exceptional skills and dedication.”
For their efforts, officials said, the group of communications operators has been nominated for an award.
