The crew of a sailboat had to be rescued off the coast of Nova Scotia after their vessel started taking on water early this morning, according to the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Halifax.

Four people were taken off the boat by a cargo ship and then airlifted by a Cormorant helicopter to the Halifax Stanfield International Airport.

The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre said it was contacted about a ship in distress around 12:30 a.m. Sunday morning. It responded, along with the Canadian Coast Guard.

JRCC helps organize the deployment of military assets like helicopters and airplanes to respond to emergencies — like search and rescue operations.

The sail boat was approximately 155 nautical miles or about 287 kilometres southeast of Halifax. A Hercules aircraft and a Cormorant helicopter were dispatched.

JRCC said no one from the sailboat was injured. It's not clear why it began taking on water.