Pictured: Claudene Christian, Crew member who died alongside captain of HMS Bounty after it is smashed to pieces by Sandy

Abandon ship: The view of HMS Bounty from a coast guard helicoper after six metre waves and ferocious gales forced the crew to abandon ship as the 180-foot three-masted ship sinks in the Atlantic Ocean

Claudene Christian pictured with the Bounty which she joined as a crew member in May

Sinking ship: The world-famous boat became stranded on Sunday night about 90 miles southeast of Hatteras, North Carolina on Sunday

Emergency: This image shows the dramatic moment some of the crew members of HMS Bounty were rescued by the US Coastguard

These dramatic pictures show the moment stranded crew members of the iconic HMS Bounty were rescued from their life boats by the U.S. coastguard.

The crew of the vessel were forced to abandon ship off the east coast of America yesterday as it became caught in raging seas near the eye of Hurricane Sandy.

Two coast guard helicopters rescued 14 people from life rafts after they were forced to abandon ship.

Ms Christian's mother, who is also called Claudene, said the ship began taking on water after a generator went out on the ship on Sunday night.

It was around 160 miles from the eye of the storm as it made its way from Connecticut to Florida.

Her mother said she was contacted by her daughter on Thursday when she said she wouldn't be able to contact them from the sea, according to 5newsonline.

Ms Christian was a former Miss Teen Alaska and attended the University of Southe Carolina.

Life-saving: A coastguard crew member uses a hoist to bring up a survivor into a helicopter

Safety: Despite the rescue efforts, the captain is still missing and a crew member has died

This image shows a survivor being pulled into the helicopter

Her aunt, Patricia Saulsberry, said that she had been interested in ships since she toured replicas of Nina and Pinta.

As six-metre waves and ferocious gales battered the decks of the 180-foot, three-masted ship - knocking out its power - terrified crew-members clambered into life boats to watch their floating home shrink unmanned into the darkness.

These pictures show U.S. coastguard teams rescuing the crewmen from their lifeboats. One of the terrified crewmen can be seen being dragged from the lifeboat and into the sea by a brave rescuer.

The world-famous boat - which featured in Hollywood blockbusters Mutiny on the Bounty with Marlon Brando and two Pirates of the Caribbean films, starring Johnny Depp - became stranded on Sunday night about 90 miles southeast of Hatteras, North Carolina.

Dangerous: This image shows a crewman from the replica tall ship HMS Bounty being aided in the water by a member of the U.S. Coast Guard

Relief: Some of the crew members of HMS Bounty are back on dry land after being rescued by the coastguard team

Recovery: The survivors were wrapped up warmly in blankets and coats after spending time stranded in a lifeboat in the middle of the ocean

Injured: This HMS Bounty crew member appears to have a red mark on his face following his rescue. Along with other survivors he was taken to the Coast Guard Air Station in Elizabeth City, North Carolina

Heroic: Three helicopters were used by the coastguard team to rescue the 14 crew men

The crew were picked hours later up by a search and rescue team who were dispatched by helicopter to bring them to safety.

But fears were confirmed that this was indeed the final voyage of the historic replica after the coast guard said it did not have time to retrieve her before conditions became too dangerous.

'The 17 person crew donned cold water survival suits and lifejackets before launching in two 25-man lifeboats with canopies,' the Coast Guard said in a statement.

The ship was built in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia for the 1962 movie Mutiny on the Bounty that starred Marlon Brando.