The U.S. Coast Guard rescued two people Friday aboard a 44-foot sailboat that sank just off South Carolina.

A boat rescue crew from Coast Guard Station Georgetown responded to a distress call at 5:40 p.m. from a crew member aboard Answer My Friend that the vessel was in distress near a jetty in the entrance to Winyah Bay.

After unsuccessfully trying to make contact with the boat on VHF Channel 16, the Coast Guard received an emergency position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) activation from the vessel and issued an urgent marine information broadcast over the radio. 

The rescue boat crew and a Coast Guard Air Station Savannah helicopter crew immediately launched to search for the mariners. A good Samaritan boater arrived at the scene to find the sailboat on the jetty partially submerged, but was unable to locate the crew.

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The Coast Guard rescue boat crew arrived to find and pull two people in the water, and treated them for shock and hypothermia. 

"Whether it's a VHF radio, an EPIRB, or a cellphone, having reliable communications equipment while out on the water is the keystone of maritime safety, providing a vital link to summon assistance or share critical information during a maritime emergency," said Senior Chief Petty Officer Robert Dash, command duty officer, Sector Charleston.

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The cause of the sinking is under investigation.