Three crewmen aboard a 66-foot-long shrimp trawler were rescued when the vessel sank in the Pamlico Sound near Swan Quarter on Tuesday night.

The cause of the sinking is being investigated, according to the Coast Guard.

The sinking of Credle’s Hope occurred about 9:15 p.m. in about 15 feet of water. The vessel’s pilot house is exposed, and a salvage operation is being planned.

The three crewmen were rescued by a fisherman working nearby. The Coast Guard will not release the names of the crewmembers because of the active investigation. No injuries were reported.

The sunken vessel is near the ferry dock at Swan Quarter and about three miles from Great Island, according to the Coast Guard.

A pollution investigator was on the scene, but the Coast Guard reports that fuel that leaked from the vessel into the sound is minimal.

The website boatinfoworld.com lists Terry Cordon Credle as owner of Credle’s Hope. The 104-gross-ton vessel was built in 1980 by Desco Marine, according to the website.