The Coast Guard rescued two men from a sinking 19-foot vessel off of Diamond Head today.

Watchstanders of the Coast Guard Sector Honolulu command center received a notification via radio at about 10:10 a.m. from the master of the boat who alerted their vessel, Smooth C’s, was taking on water and sinking, according to a Coast Guard news release today.

The two men aboard, ages 30 and 36, were returning from a cancelled race in Molokai when they ran into trouble.

The Coast Guard’s 45-foot response boat-medium, MH-65 Dolphin helicopter and an HC-130 Hercules airplane responded and located the mariners holding onto the hull of the vessel approximately nine miles southeast of Diamond Head.

Heavy rain hampered initial search efforts but crews located them thanks to an emergency position radio beacon (EPIRB) the distressed mariners were equipped with.

Dolphin helicopter pilot Lt. Isaac Babcock said, “The survivors had a personal EPIRB which ultimately allowed the crew to locate them and hoist to safety, saving their lives. Visibility was less than one mile with ceilings below 200 feet and heavy rain. The initial search proved unsuccessful.”

No injuries were reported.

The Coast Guard said weather conditions at the scene were winds of more than 30 miles per hour and seas up to nine feet.

A small craft advisory remains in effect through 6 p.m. Sunday for the main Hawaiian islands.