A 60-foot sail boat that ran into trouble around 140 nautical miles off St. John’s is now safely under tow by the Coast Guard and headed back to port.

Lieutenant Commander, Brian Owens of the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Halifax says the Coast Guard vessel Captain Molly Kool arrived on the scene at around 3:20 a.m. and is now towing the vessel safely back to St. John’s, with an eta of around 4:00 a.m. tomorrow morning.

The boat had a run of bad luck encountering issues with its mast and engine at the same time.

The semi-submersible mobile offshore drilling rig Transocean Barents was diverted to the location of the sail boat yesterday and was first on scene.

They then passed the information on to local authorities, while ensuring the safety and well-being of the crew.

Two people remain on board the sail boat at this time.

Owens says the weather made things tougher with three-meter seas creating choppy waters, but fortunately sea conditions are improving.

Earlier Story

A rescue mission is underway after a 60-foot sail boat experienced mechanical issues and engine failure approximately 135 to 140 nautical miles off the coast of St. John’s.

Lieutenant Commander of the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Halifax, Brian Owens, confirms two civilian vessels are on-site monitoring and escorting the sail boat.

The Captain Molly Kool is en route to the site, and will take over the rescue once they arrive, which is expected to be within the next five hours.

Owens says the weather is making things tougher with three-meter seas creating choppy waters.

Once the Molly Kool arrives, they will gauge the situation and likely tow the sailboat back.

There is no word on how many people are on board the sail boat at this time.

An update is expected on Monday morning. VOCM News is tracking the story and will provide updates as they become available.