Unalaska, AK – The crew of the fishing vessel Illusion was rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter after the boat went down in Makushin Bay Friday night.

The cause of the incident shortly after 11 p.m. wasn't known today. All four crew members made it into the Illusion's life raft and activated an EPIRB, and they were rescued by a helicopter from the Coast Guard cutter Mellon about three hours later.

Petty Officer Eric Chandler said that weather conditions hampered the Coast Guard's ability to figure out exactly where the life raft was. Fortunately, the EPIRB was properly registered, which allowed the Coast Guard's Rescue Coordination Center in Juneau to find the crew members based on the Illusion's sail plan.

"The satellite wasn't able to make a second pass and find out their coordinates for almost two hours," Chandler said. "If [the EPIRB] had been registered to the wrong vessel, [the RCC] could've gotten completely different information, and it would have affected the survival chances of the people who had to abandon ship."

None of the crew members were able to get into their survival suits as they abandoned ship. Chandler said that they were fortunate to make it.

"There was really poor visibility, heavy mist, somewhat poor weather conditions," he said. "All in all, they were extremely lucky."

All four men were treated for hypothermia at the Iliuliuk Health Clinic in Unalaska. No other injuries were reported.