HMS Bounty Crew Member Found Dead

The Coast Guard has recovered the body of one of two crew members missing from the HMS Bounty, a tall ship that sank off the North Carolina coast after running into Hurricane Sandy. The replica sailing ship was built for the 1962 movie Mutiny on the Bounty, and Claudene Christian, who was pronounced dead at the hospital, was a descendant of one of the original 18th-century mutineers. Another 14 sailors were rescued after the ship started sinking, but its captain is still missing, the AP reports.

The ship set off from Connecticut on Thursday and the HMS Bounty Organization tried to reassure fans that it would be safe, calling the voyage a "calculated decision," the Washington Post reports. But early yesterday morning, it lost its battle with the storm and its captain ordered the crew to abandon ship. As they struggled to board lifeboats, Christian and the captain were smacked by a wave and disappeared in the water. The remaining crew members were plucked to safety by Coast Guard helicopters. (More Coast Guard stories.)