Hurricane Sandy Sinks Ship; 14 Rescued, 2 Missing

By Audrey Barrick, Christian Post Reporter Monday, October 29, 2012

Hurricane Sandy sunk a tall ship that was used in such films as "Pirates of the Caribbean" off the coast of Hatteras, N.C. The Coast Guard was able to rescue 14 people Monday morning but two remain missing.

The crew on the HMS Bounty was headed for St. Petersburg, Fla., but couldn't escape Hurricane Sandy. Abandoning the ship, the crew boarded two lifeboats before being rescued by two Coast Guard helicopters early Monday.

The Bounty sank.

One aircraft remains on the scene in search for the two missing crewmembers. A third Jayhawk crew is en route to assist search and rescue efforts.

The owner of the 180-foot, three mast tall ship contacted the Coast Guard Sector North Carolina after losing communication with the vessel's crew late Sunday evening.

The Coast Guard 5th District command center in Portsmouth subsequently received a signal from the emergency position indicating radio beacon registered to the Bounty, confirming the distress and position, the Coast Guard reported.

Rescued crewmembers were being flown to Air Station Elizabeth City.

Hurricane Sandy is moving parallel to the East Coast and is expected to turn northwest Monday evening. It is expected to make landfall along the central N.J. coast. Forecasters predict long periods of sustained tropical storm-force winds between Virginia and Massachusetts and historic surge levels along the coast, including New York Harbor.