The Coast Guard is still searching for the captain of the HMS Bounty, a day after rescuing 14 members of the Bounty's crew from life rafts. The Bounty sank off the coast of North Carolina during Hurricane Sandy.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard Compass Blog, the owner of the HMS Bounty contacted the Coast Guard on October 29 after losing communication with the Bounty:
By the time two Coast Guard rescue helicopters dispatched from the Elizabeth City station arrived on scene Oct. 29 at approximately 6:30 a.m., the 16 crew members had reportedly divided among two 25-man lifeboats and were wearing cold weather survival suits and life jackets. Air crews located and rescued 14 of the 16 crew members.
(You'll find video of the rescue at the top of this post.)
The Coast Guard later found another member of the Bounty crew, Claudene Christian, in the waters of the Atlantic. According to the Associated Press, she was unresponsive when pulled from the water. Doctors later pronounced Christian dead at a North Carolina hospital.
The only member of the HMS Bounty crew still missing is the ship's captain, Robin Walbridge. Coast Guard Capt. Joe Kelly told the A.P. he's optimistic rescuers will find the 63-year-old Walbridge alive:
"There’s a lot of factors that go into survivability. Right now we’re going to continue to search. Right now we’re hopeful."
The HMS Bounty was a movie star of sorts. According to its Facebook page, the ship appeared in films like "Mutiny on the Bounty" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest."
