The U.S Coast Guard rescued four Canadians 140 miles off the coast of Willmington, North Carolina after their catamaran capsized. 

On October 23, 2023 the Coast Guard 5th District Command Center in Portsmouth, Virginia received an emergency signal at 12:18 p.m. from a catamaran called the Moon Dragon. After their hatches broke on both the starboard and port sides of the ship,  the vessel started flooding and forced the crew to abandon ship. 

After the ship had been abandoned they boarded a raft which was then lifted by a Coast Guard crew, where they were taken to Air Station Elizabeth City before transferring to a local hospital. Each individual had no injuries occur during the incident and rescue. 

The vessel was a 60-foot catamaran that chartered between the Virgin Islands and Mid-Atlantic. Which was left due to the rough seas and harsh winds, the USCG had released a warning of the partially submerged ship left in the sea for other mariners in the area. 

According to CBS News the Coast Guard released a statement about the crew stating, “The survivors in the raft used a radio to contact the overhead HC-130 crew and request assistance.” Without the crew knowing and understanding how their safety equipment works, the mission could have been labeled unsuccessful, says unit controller Petty Officer First Class, Austin Lang. 

“These sailors had the right gear on board, it worked, they knew how to use it, and it’s because of that we were able to find them and bring them home safely,” Lang said in a statement to CBS.