A rescue crew from the Menemsha Coast Guard station came to the aid of a New Bedford-based fishing vessel which was sinking to the south of the Island early Saturday morning.

The crew of the 40-foot wooden-hulled Samantha and Serena first got in touch with the Coast Guard around 3 a.m. on VHF marine radio on Channel 16, the international calling and distress channel. A crew member reported that the ship was taking on water and that the dewatering pumps had failed.

The Coast Guard launched a 47-foot rescue boat and crew from Menemsha station, which arrived on the scene around 4 a.m. and transferred a new pump to the sinking vessel. The vessel was dewatered and escorted back to its home port in New Bedford.

A Jayhawk rescue helicopter from Air Station Cape Cod also responded to the call.

No injuries were reported aboard the Samantha and Serena

Petty Officer Second Class Lance Nelligan, the day officer at Menemsha station, said the crew of the sinking vessel knew how to respond to the emergency situation and followed the proper protocols.

“They made a radio distress call to the Coast Guard and had their life and raft emergency position indicating that a radio beacon was standing by in case the vessel sank,” Mr. Nelligan said.