WILMINGTON, N.C. -- Eight people were rescued after their boat took off from the North Carolina coast.

• Eight people rescued from a boat miles away from Oregon Inlet
• Good Samaritans helped get them to safety before rescue crews arrived
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It happened early Saturday morning about 30 miles southeast of Oregon Inlet. A release from the U.S. Coast Guard says a charter fishing vessel hit an object underwater and the boat began to flood. A Coast Guard rescue boat was launched and a helicopter from air station Elizabeth City took off to aid the effort.

“Community members and Coast Guard crews came together today to help people in need,” said Seaman Khoi Vu, a communications watchstander at Station Oregon Inlet. “Oregon Inlet can pose a challenging, hazardous environment to mariners. We urge everyone to exercise caution when getting underway in the area, and to call for assistance right away when they need it.”

Before the Coast Guard crews arrived, good Samaritans climbed aboard the boat to assist by using a dewatering pump. The boaters were saved and their ship was towed back to shore.