Last week, Coast Guard crews spent hours following a distress signal from an Emergency Position Indicating Radiobeacon (EPIRB) off Fort Lauderdale, Fla., only to find out no boaters were in trouble.

The Coast Guard finally figured out that the owner of the 42-foot boat had sold the vessel not long before. And the new owner had thrown the registered EPIRB soon after the purchase.

EPIRBs are devices intended to save lives by transmitting a signal to rescuers with the position of troubled boaters. But when improperly disposed of, they can cost the Coast Guard valuable time and taxpayers thousands of dollars in resources.

The Coast Guard asks that unwanted EPIRBS be disposed of by either removing the battery and shipping the unit back to its manufacturer, or rendering the unit inoperable by demolishing it. The EPIRB should also be unregistered with NOAA.

Not doing so is against the law and can result in fines of up to $10,000 from the Federal Communications Commission.

By following the rules for proper EPIRB disposal, boaters can save themselves a lot of trouble and the Coast Guard an unnecessary trip to the dump. For more information on EPIRBS, please contact NOAA at 1-888-212-7283.