This image provided by New Hampshire State Police shows a yacht burning Saturday on the Piscataqua River in New Castle, N.H. New Hampshire State Police via AP

NEW CASTLE, N.H. — A 70-foot yacht burned and sank in New Hampshire, sending three people to the hospital, authorities said.

The vessel, the Elusive, was on the Piscataqua River heading toward a marina in New Castle around 4 p.m. Saturday when a passenger noticed black smoke below deck, the New Hampshire Department of Safety said in a statement.

The Coast Guard and the New Hampshire State Police Marine Patrol posted photos of the flames and thick black smoke pouring from the vessel.

#HappeningNow: a 72ft vessel is fully engulfed in flames in the #Piscataqua River, near New Castle #NH. @USCG Station Portsmouth
Harbor, NH Marine Patrol & @portsmouthnhfd are responding. Both reported people onboard the vessel were assisted by a good samaritan and are uninjured pic.twitter.com/sLbrvTahf5

— USCGNortheast (@USCGNortheast) June 18, 2022

Three passengers, as well as two dogs, jumped overboard as the boat became engulfed in flames. They were rescued by other boats.

The passengers, identified as Arthur Watson, 67, and Diane Watson, 57, both of New Canaan, Connecticut, and Jarrod Tubbs, 33, of Jupiter, Florida, were taken to a hospital, treated and released.

Despite efforts to save the yacht, it drifted into Maine waters and eventually sank about two hours after the 911 initial call, authorities said.

The cause of the fire is being investigated.