One person has died and four people are missing after a powerful storm capsized several sailboats during a race off the coast of Alabama, the coastguard said.

More than 100 vessels and as many as 200 people took part in the Dauphin Island regatta when violent winds rolled through the area. Many people had to be pulled from the water after their boats capsized.

The Dauphin Island mayor, Jeff Collier, told Al.com that at least one person was confirmed dead, but he did not know the cause.

“It’s been a very tragic day,” Michael Smith, of the Buccaneer yacht club, told WSFA-TV. “We’ve had a lot of breakage, missing people, fatalities.”

Petty officer Carlos Vega said the coastguard would search through the night for the missing.

One woman, Susan Kangal, said it was the worst storm she had ever seen, nearly capsizing her boat. “Everybody was ready to jump. I didn’t have a life jacket on,” she said.