Passaic River Distress Call a Hoax

State and local rescue crews have stopped searching the Passaic River after a distress call apparently was a hoax.

Fairfield Deputy Police Chief Anthony Manna says a search encompassing several hours Wednesday night and Thursday morning yielded no boat or boaters.

A U.S. Coast Guard spokeswoman says a call was received at a Guard station in New York Wednesday night at about 9:45 p.m. Sondra Rivera says the caller said the vessel was in the Passaic River near Fairfield and was taking on water. The caller also said the boat's battery was dying.

Search crews from the state police and the Fairfield and Lincoln Park fire departments responded to the scene.

Manna says his department will investigate to determine who made the call.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)