Officials: Yacht blast hoax cost $318,000+ The 5 1/2-hour search for a yacht that supposedly had exploded off the New Jersey coast but turned out to be a hoax cost $318,000, officials said Tuesday. HIGHLANDS, N.J., June 12 (UPI) -- The 5 1/2-hour search for a yacht that supposedly had exploded off the New Jersey coast but turned out to be a hoax cost $318,000, officials said Tuesday. The U.S. Coast Guard said a reward of up to $3,000 was being offered for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of whoever is responsible for making the phony call, The (Newark) Star-Ledger reported. The big bill was run up Monday after authorities received a report that there had been an explosion aboard a yacht 17.5 miles off Sandy Hook and that 21 people aboard had abandoned ship. The hoaxer said several people had been injured. Four Coast Guard helicopters and two rescue boats were dispatched to the alleged scene. The Coast Guard's $318,000 cost does not include expenses incurred by other agencies that sent aircraft and boats, or the cost of getting ambulance and medevac crews ready to receive the injured who never materialized, the newspaper said. All told, about 200 first responders took part in the emergency response, the Coast Guard said. "False distress calls like this tie up valuable assets like helicopters and boats, and put our crews at risk every time since we take every distress call seriously," said Rear Adm. Dan Abel, commander of the 1st Coast Guard District. And they impede the ability of first responders like the Coast Guard and our partners to respond to real distresses where real lives may be in genuine peril. Officials said making a false distress call is a federal crime punishable by up to six years in prison, a $250,000 fine and reimbursement for the search cost. The Coast Guard has successfully prosecuted at least five hoax calls since 2004, The Star-Ledger said.