4 Canadians rescued from sinking catamaran off North Carolina

Canadians rescued from sinking catamaran: USCG The United States Coast Guard successfully rescued four Canadians from an overturned catamaran over the weekend.

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) successfully rescued four Canadians from an overturned catamaran that was sinking off the coast of North Carolina on Saturday.

The agency says it received an emergency signal from the Moon Dragon --- a nearly 20-metre luxury yacht that charters between the Mid-Atlantic and the Virgin Islands.

According to officials from the USCG, the crew said while at sea, multiple side hatches broke leading to catastrophic flooding, forcing them to abandon ship.

Petty Officer First Class Austin Lang, a USCG operations unit controller, says the successful rescue was a result of the crew of the catamaran being prepared for an emergency situation.

"These sailors had the right gear on board, it worked, they knew how to use it." Lang said. "It's because of that we were able to find them."

The Moon Dragon remains partially submerged, with the USCG issuing a hazard-to-navigation broadcast to notify other mariners travelling through the area.

Click the video at the top of this article to watch video of the successful rescue