The crew of a cruise ship helped rescue five sailors in distress after it left Bermuda this week.The 39-foot sailboat Sanctuary contacted the US Coast Guard on Saturday, reporting it had taken several large breaking waves over the bow, according to USA Today.The sailboat had lost power and was slowly taking on water about 256 miles northeast of Bermuda.A Coast Guard C-130 Hercules aircraft, sent to locate the vessel, reported that the four men and one woman passenger were in life jackets, but their life raft had washed overboard.The 2,394-passenger Norwegian Gem, the closest ship in the area, received the call for help. It was en-route back to New York on a week-long Bermuda cruise, but diverted course to reach the Sanctuary, which was about two hours away in the North Atlantic.US Today reported that the crew faced 40 knot winds and large swells, making it tough to launch the Gem’s rescue boat. Once in the water, the rescue boat was able to quickly get to the sailors.“This rescue operation was conducted under extremely difficult circumstances,” said Captain Hakan Svedung, in the USA Today report. “I am proud of our crew who braved their lives to rescue the five people in distress.”The Gem arrived back in New York on Sunday, around half an hour behind schedule, and the Sanctuary passengers disembarked there.According to the Bermuda Maritime Operations Centre, the Sanctuary had been en route to Bermuda from New England when she got into difficulties.