Five people are safe after the Coast Guard rescued them from a sinking sailboat hundreds of miles off the North Carolina coast Thursday.

According to the Coast Guard , watchstanders at Sector North Carolina received a mayday call from the crew of a sailboat called “Magic Bus” about 260 nautical miles offshore from Cape Hatteras.

The crew reported their vessel was taking on water and that they had climbed into a life raft.

The Coast Guard launched a response involving the cutter Angela McShan (WPC 1135), an HC-130 Hercules airplane and an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Elizabeth City.

Images show the Jayhawk hovering over dark green, churning waters while a small orange life raft bobs below, tossed by wind and waves.

Another image shows the white sailboat leaning to one sid

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