Five people, including the 125-foot boat's captain, wererescuedby the first Coast Guard helicopter that reached the scene at about8:20 a.m. They were treated for mild hypothermia at a clinic at theCoast Guard's air station at Elizabeth City.
They were identified as ship owner and captain Yale Iverson,58,of Des Moines, Iowa; Edmond Lowson, 32, Berkeley, Calif.; ChrisGrandi, 20, Norfolk, Va.; Rebecca Grandi, 23, Norfolk; PaulWeinstein, 30, San Francisco;
Harold Finney, 62, Alexandria, Va., and Keith Boyer, 25, whosehometown was not released, were rescued five hours later and takento Ablemarle Hospital in Elizabeth City as a precaution.
``One was a little hypothermic. The other just wet and cold,''said Petty Officer Harry Craft in Elizabeth City.
The Alexandria was on its way to Beaufort.
All seven were wearing life jackets when they abandoned theboatat about 7:45 a.m. Two dogs that had been on the sailboat were notfound.
The sailboat reported by radio about 6:30 a.m. that it wastaking on water, said Petty Officer Stephen Baker in Portsmouth,Va. The sailboat was almost submerged in rough seas about 50 milessoutheast of Cape Hatteras when it was found at about 8 a.m.
A private ship and a passenger jet assisted the Coast Guard'ssearch effort.
The Alexandria had engine problems on Sunday and had beenrepaired with the help of a U.S. Army tugboat engineer.
``The engine was repaired and it was making its way under itsown power,'' Baker said. It was unclear if the boat had developedthe same engine trouble Monday, he said.
Until recently, the sailboat's home port was Alexandria, Va.,but it had recently been sold, Baker said.
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