180-Foot HMS Bounty Tall Ship Replica Sinks in Hurricane Sandy Seas, Two Crew Missing

At least two crew members of the 180-foot-long HMS Bounty tall ship replica are missing after abandoning ship off the coast of North Carolina in high seas brought on by Hurricane Sandy.

Officials with the U.S. Coast Guard said the 16-member crew of HMS Bounty decided to abandon ship after getting caught in 18 foot seas off Cape Hatteras on Monday.

All the crew members made it onto two covered life-rafts but only 14 people were hoisted onto helicopters, said U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Brendan Selerno. He said officials have not yet had the chance to debrief the 14 survivors to find out what happened to the two other crew members.

Selerno said the two missing crew members are believed to be in cold water survival suits and life-jackets. He said the air search is being plotted based on wind direction and speed, and will be expanded.

HMS Bounty sank several hours after the evacuation. The ship was built in 1960 and was made famous in a 1962 movie starring Marlon Brando - Mutiny on the Bounty. It has also appeared in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest starring Johnny Depp.

A U.S. Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter arrived on scene at approximately 6:30 a.m. and hoisted five people from the life-rafts. A second helicopter arrived and rescued nine more people.