The Coast Guard says distress signals received at its Honolulu center led to the rescue of 20 sailors on life rafts near the Marshall Islands.

The area is about 2,500 miles from Honolulu.

An aircraft spotted the rafts Friday morning and several vessels were sent to the area. A fishing boat rescued all 20 sailors around 6 p.m.

The Coast Guard says the sailors were on board a ship hauling construction materials that sank in bad weather. Their conditions were not known.

Coast Guard officials say the rescue was made possible thanks to the use of portable radio beacons designed for emergencies.