The Captain and crew of Norwegian Gem rescued five people from a sinking yacht on Saturday.

The 39-foot boat, Sanctuary, got into difficulties about 350 nautical miles from New York in the North Atlantic Ocean. It had lost power and its life raft, was experiencing heavy seas and was beginning to take on water.

The closest vessel in the area, Norwegian Gem, received a call from the US coast guard and immediately changed course to rescue the hapless ship.

When Norwegian Gem arrived at the scene, she encountered large swells and winds of up to 40 knots, making it difficult to conduct a rescue. Launching the ship’s rescue boat was the most challenging exercise, but once in the water, it quickly reached Sanctuary’s occupants and ferried them to the safety of the ship.

“This rescue operation was conducted under extremely difficult circumstances,” said Captain Svedung. “I am proud of our crew who braved their lives to rescue the five people in distress.”