Three people were rescued from the water Friday off the coast of Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

The U.S. Coast Guard responded to a beacon on a 42-foot sail boat that overturned.

The people were on the bottom of the boat when rescuers arrived.

"A vessel is significantly easier to spot in the ocean than a person," Lt. Robert Turley, the pilot of the MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter that responded, said in a statement. "Mariners who stay with their vessel help take some of the search out of 'search and rescue,' and this undoubtedly contributed to the success of this case."

All three of the people who were rescued are safe.