US taxpayers have been landed with a bill of around $15,000 after a Coast Guard aircraft was deployed during a false alarm over a missing fishing boat.Bermuda Maritime Operations Centre [MOC] called the plane from Virginia amid an extensive search for two men on the vessel Walk Tall, which failed to return home on time.It turned out, after a seven-hour search and rescue operation that the men, aged 53 and 60, had simply decided to stay out fishing longer than anticipated.The episode prompted a stern warning from the Operations Centre yesterday, with a spokesman saying: “It must be stressed the efforts and risks placed to the various parties tasked with the search for this vessel.”The drama began at 11.07am on Saturday when MOC received a call from concerned family members saying the men on Walk Tall were overdue from a fishing trip the night before.According to the spokesman, the 21 foot power craft was believed to have gone offshore and the men had indicated to family members that they intended to return early on Saturday morning.Approximately nine hours later, concerned family members contacted the MOC to report the vessel overdue.“Bermuda Radio commenced call-outs to the vessel via Marine VHF radio while also making unsuccessful attempts to contact either of the two crew on-board via cellular telephone, which were now believed to be out of range,” explained the spokesman.“Further calls were made to family members while port and harbour checks were conducted by the Marine Police. Following preliminary communications, harbour and moorings checks with negative results, Bermuda Radio commenced Urgent Marine Safety Information broadcasts concerning the overdue vessel. Marine Police boats were tasked to the last known position and carried out an extensive search of the area without sighting the overdue vessel.”At 4pm on Saturday, following those efforts, the MOC requested help from the Rescue Coordination Centre in Norfolk, Virginia, for a fixed wing aircraft [C-130] to commence a larger offshore search, as the vessel was now believed to be possibly disabled and drifting further offshore.“Local searches of ports, moorings and offshore waters continued while attempts were made to establish communication with the vessel via VHF radio or cellular telephone. The US Coastguard aircraft now airborne to Bermuda had two hours search time on scene before returning to Elizabeth City, North Carolina.”The spokesman said contact was finally established with the overdue fishermen at 6pm on Saturday when they reported their safe arrival back at Jew’s Bay in Southampton.“Bermuda Radio informed the crew of the exhaustive search efforts that had been ongoing over the last seven hours and of the need to inform family members or Bermuda Radio when deciding to stay out fishing for longer than anticipated, and of the crucial need to also keep a good listening watch on VHF channel 16. All marine and air assets involved in the search were stood down,” said the spokesman.He said the cost of the aircraft deployment will go to the US taxpayer and is in the region of $15,000.Asked if the fishermen will be asked to pay towards the bill, he said there is no charge for search and rescue operations, even if they turn out to be a false alarm, “although mariners need to accept some sense of responsibility by ensuring they file a float plan or updates with family members or Bermuda Radio”.