Coast Guard taps cellphone location data to speed searches

BOSTON — The U.S. Coast Guard is tapping into cellphone location data to quickly locate distressed boaters.

The voluntary i911 program lets the Coast Guard access mariners’ cellphone locations to help rescue crews find them faster. The software is a free service for all first responders.

The program requires someone in need of help to provide a phone number, said Coast Guard Petty Officer Nicole Groll. Then the mariner receives a text message to authorize sharing the phone’s GPS location services with the Coast Guard. Once that step is completed, the Coast Guard can access detailed information to narrow a search.

Depending on the cellphone service, i911 can determine locations of distressed mariners up to 20 nautical miles offshore.