OUTER BANKS, N.C. — Five people people were rescued on Thursday after their sailboat began sinking off the coast of Cape Hatteras, according to the Coast Guard.
The crew of the Magic Bus, a sailing vessel, radioed for help after they discovered their vessel was taking on water. All five occupants abandoned the vessel and boarded a life raft before calling for assistance, according to the Coast Guard.
Coast Guard officials dispatched the cutter Angela McShan as well as an HC-130 Hercules and an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Elizabeth City. The HC-130 crew was the first to spot the life raft, according to the Coast Guard.
Because the rescue mission was roughly 260 miles offshore, the Coast Guard enlisted support from the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush, which provided refueling for the Jayhawk helicopter as it made its way to the scene.
Upon arrival, the Jayhawk crew hoisted all five survivors from the life raft and brought them aboard, according to the Coast Guard. The helicopter then refueled again on the carrier before flying the group safely back to Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City.
No injuries were reported, according to the Coast Guard.
