Coast Guard rescues five after mast on luxury yacht snaps

Five people were rescued from the 55-foot luxury catamaran Rain Maker, reportedly owned by Pinterest investor Brian Cohen. 

The U.S. Coast Guard says it rescued five people from a sailboat after the boat's mast broke about 200 miles off the coast of North Carolina.

A statement from the Coast Guard says watchstanders at a command center in Portsmouth, Virginia, were notified Friday afternoon that the 55-foot catamaran Rainmaker suffered a broken mast in 40 mph winds and 13-foot seas. It occurred about 200 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

A helicopter crew was able to hoist all five boaters from the damaged sailboat. The Coast Guard says the boaters were taken to Dare County Regional Airport in Manteo in good condition. WRAL TV reports:

A Coast Guard rescue ship arrived at the damaged vessel at about 4:05 p.m., but the 350-foot cargo ship was unable to come alongside the Rain Maker. 

An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter arrived at about 5 p.m. and hoisted all five people from the water. 

“The mission today was challenging for our crews due to the distance from shore and the weather conditions,” Petty Officer 1st Class Allen Facenda, an operations specialist in Portsmouth who worked on the case, said in a statement.

“The crew we rescued had a registered and up-to-date emergency position indicating radio beacon that told us their exact position. All five people were wearing life jackets and were prepared to abandon their vessel in a life raft. We were happy to get there before that became necessary.”

WTVD Channel 11 reports that the $2.5 million luxury yacht was owned by Pinterest investor Brian Cohen.