mayday signal
Emergency broadcast plea
A mayday signal is a distress call indicating grave and imminent danger to a vessel, aircraft, or person—situations requiring immediate assistance.
The word mayday comes from French *m'aider* (help me) and is spoken three times in succession over radio: Mayday, mayday, mayday.
International protocol reserves it for life-threatening emergencies, distinguishing it from lesser urgency calls.
- SOSMorse distress code
- distressSevere anxiety or suffering
- emergencySerious sudden danger
- nine one oneUniversal distress number
- rescueSave from harm
search and rescue · crash · going down · sinking · pilot · cockpit · air traffic control · radio · beacon · coast guard · helicopter · survivor · ocean · life raft · wreckage · panic · urgent · transmission