'Graveyard of the Atlantic’: 4 rescued from shipwreck on North Carolina beach

CAPE LOOKOUT, N.C. — The U.S. Coast Guard rescued four sailors from a fishing trawler that wrecked along a dangerous stretch of water near North Carolina’s Outer Banks early Friday morning.

The crew members were lifted off the 78-foot fishing boat as it was being wracked by strong winds and tossed by waves, according to the National Park Service and the U.S. Coast Guard.

The boat, which is called Tamara Alane, eventually came to a stop in the sands of Shackleford Banks, a barrier island in Cape Lookout National Seashore.

The crew had reported engine trouble and fuel issues in a distress call around 3:30 a.m. after trying to set their anchor, the Coast Guard said. Eventually the boat began taking on water as it hit the beach.

No injuries were reported, but the waters near where the ship became stranded have been deemed the “Graveyard of the Atlantic,” news outlets reported. More than 2,000 vessels have wrecked in the area, where the warm Gulf Stream water meets a cold Arctic current.

The Coast Guard and a marine salvage company looked over the damage and began removing the boat from the beach over the weekend after the weather in the area calmed.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Coast Guard rescues 5 after boat capsizes 8 miles off NC coast Coast Guard rescues 5 after boat capsizes 8 miles off NC coast

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