(Tribune News Service) — A yacht was hit with “catastrophic flooding” more than 100 miles off the North Carolina coast, officials said.

Four Canadian boaters were on the yacht when hatches on both sides broke, causing water to pour in and forcing its crew to abandon ship on Saturday, Oct. 21, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

Fortunately, the boaters made it to a raft, where they called for help. Then, the Coast Guard used a plane to track down the group and a helicopter to pull them up to safety, according to an Oct. 22 news release and a video posted to social media.

“We are so happy for the overwhelming support the local community has offered,” Jason Kindree, captain of the yacht, told WNCN after the rescue. “All I would say is that all of North Carolina that helped us is a fantastic community.”

Rescuers were called to the capsized yacht after it experienced trouble about 140 miles from the Wilmington area. The vessel — a 60-foot catamaran called the Moon Dragon — “charters between the Mid-Atlantic and the Virgin Islands,” according to the Coast Guard.

“The ocean is unpredictable and unforgiving, and this case represents perfectly the value of being prepared at sea,” Petty Officer 1st Class Austin Lang, operations unit controller, said in the release. “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.”

Seas were 11 to 12 feet with winds up to 35 mph when the flooding occurred, according to the Coast Guard.

No one on the boat was injured. As of Oct. 22, part of the overturned catamaran was still under water, “and the Coast Guard is issuing a hazard-to-navigation safety broadcast to notify mariners,” officials said.

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