Limitations of Cell Phones
While a cell phone can be used as an additional measure of safety, it’s not a substitute for the regular maritime radio distress and safety systems, particularly VHF maritime radio.
- Cell phones can lose their signal or get wet or damaged.
- Calling from your cell phone does not alert nearby vessels that you are in distress — they could be the ones to help you if they could hear you.
- Some cell phone signals cannot be traced back to your location by rescuers.
