A 19-foot pleasure craft about two miles off Ma'ili Point with four people aboard sank this morning, the U.S. Coast Guard said. All four persons are now safely ashore.

William Aila, harbormaster at the Wai'anae Boat Harbor, said a Coast Guard helicopter brought two people to the beach in its hanging basket. The other two were rescued by a Honolulu Fire Department helicopter, he said.

The four boaters called for help at 9:48 a.m. via cell phone and reported their boat was taking on water after it had been swamped by a wave, a Coast Guard news release said.

An air crew aboard a HH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Air Station Barbers Point and a crew aboard a 41-foot motor lifeboat from Station Honolulu were launched immediately to respond, the release said.

The Coast Guard had also notified the Honolulu Fire Department and the Honolulu Ocean Safety Division of the distress call.

Two persons from the sinking boat were brought to shore by HFD's Air 1 helicopter and two were brought to shore by the Coast Guard's HH-65. City lifeguards from Ocean Safety's District 4 assisted on the rescue.

All four persons aboard the sinking boat were men. They were safely ashore at 10:41 a.m.

"This is a great example of a quick joint response," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Jesseca Zane, a search and rescue controller for the Coast Guard in Honolulu. "We launched our assets and contacted HFD and the lifeguards at the same time and were able to save these four guys quickly."

The boat sank at about 9:45 a.m., Aila said. Initial reports that the boat was on fire were incorrect.

Aila said the boaters called their father from a cell phone when they got into trouble. Aila said the boat sank in water about 3,000 feet deep.

Bryan Cheplic, spokesman for the city Emergency Services Department, said those aboard the boat were treated and released by city paramedics at Ma'ili Beach Park.