A replica of the British historic sailing ship Bounty sank several hours after the crew was evacuated, CBC News writes. The US Coast Guard has so far rescued 14 of the 16 crew members who fled the ship in inflatable life rafts as Hurricane Sandy made landfall on the East Coast. The crew decided to evacuate while the ship was off the coast of North Carolina.

It was previously reported that there were 17 people on the sailboat, but this information was not confirmed. According to the latest data, the crew included 16 people, the reports US Coast Guard . 14 of them were delivered by two helicopters to Elizabeth City Airport, the Associated Press reports .

The search for two more continues. According to preliminary data, they are wearing life jackets. Rescuers have not yet had time to interview other crew members about what happened to the two missing people.

The ship's owner reported the disaster when he lost contact with the crew. At this time, water began to flow onto the ship, poorly adapted to bad weather conditions. The electrical system on board was disrupted, so the crew members were unable to pump out the water from the hold on their own. In such conditions, they would not have time to safely reach the nearest port.

The Bounty, launched in Lunenburg, Canada in 1960, is a replica of a historic ship that was burned as a result of a crew mutiny in 1790. The new vessel became famous after it was used on the set of the 1962 film Mutiny on the Bounty starring Marlon Brando. Later, the sailboat was also used in the film Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. Most often the ship was used as a training vessel.

A copy of the sailing ship "Bounty" sank