One crew member has been found and another one is still missing after Hurricane Sandy on Monday sank a famous tall ship with strong connections to St. Petersburg.
The U.S. Coast Guard rescued 14 crew members of the HMS Bounty, which was caught in torrential waters about 90 miles southeast of Hatteras, N.C. Two crew members did not make it onto lifeboats.
Coast Guard crews continue to search for the ship's missing captain, Robin Walbridge.
The Coast Guard says it has found one of the missing crew members but she is unresponsive. Lt. Mike Patterson said crews are taking 42-year-old Claudene Christian to the hospital.
The 180-foot, three-mast tall ship called the Pier in St. Petersburg home for many years and was scheduled to return to St. Petersburg on Nov. 10. The replica vessel was built for the 1962 Marlon Brando movie Mutiny on the Bounty.
After setting sail for St. Petersburg from Connecticut last week, the crew had been in constant contact with the National Hurricane Center, trying to maneuver around the storm, but the storm was too big.
According to the Coast Guard, the Bounty's last position was about 160 miles from Sandy's eye. The ship started taking on water as it sailed through 18-foot waves and 40 mph winds. The crew was forced to abandon the ship.
After the ship's owner reported losing communication with the crew, two Coast Guard helicopters rescued 14 people from life rafts Monday morning. Those crew members were able to don cold-weather survival suits and life jackets and launch in two 25-man lifeboats with canopies.
They were flown to Air Station Elizabeth City in North Carolina, where they were met by awaiting emergency medical services personnel. Their conditions were not immediately known.
The Bounty, which was originally a British transport vessel, has also appeared in the 2006 movie Pirates of the Caribbean: Dad Man's Chest with Johnny Depp.