The Associated Press

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — A Coast Guard helicopter crew hoisted four people from a disabled sailboat about 300 miles off Virginia’s coast.

The 42-foot Be Good Too was headed to the British Virgin Islands from New York when the crew contacted the Coast Guard on Monday. The Coast Guard says the crew reported that the sailboat was disabled and adrift.

Because of the distance, the Coast Guard says responding with a cutter wasn’t feasible. The Navy sent the USS Ross, a 505-foot guided missle destroyer, to serve as a refueling platform for the helicopter.

The sailboat’s crew was rescued around 9:15 a.m. Tuesday.

Matthew Brooks with the Coast Guard’s 5th District Command Center says in a news release that the Coast Guard didn’t want to transfer the crew from the sailboat at night because it would be risky.