Two men were rescued off the coast of Marshfield, Massachusetts on Tuesday after their out-of-control motorboat entered what’s called a “circle of death.”

A fishing boat close by alerted the Harbormaster’s office at around 10 a.m., after the captain, Dana Blackman, noticed a vessel in a high speed circling pattern. Rescuers pulled the two men from the water, where they had been ejected by the boat. 

The “circle of death” phenomenon, known and feared by mariners, can sometimes be fatal.

To avoid a situation like this, it is advised that boaters be attached to a “kill switch” that would turn off the boat’s motor after the inhabitants are ejected. Holding on to the steering wheel of the boat, sometimes impossible, might have helped ease or stop the spin. 

Luckily, the men were able to escape unharmed, even though they were not wearing life jackets.

Meanwhile, the boat was still spinning, and it took 90 minutes to tow it out of the dangerous waters.

“This is a stark reminder of how fast incidents can occur on the water without notice,” Marshfield Chief Phillip A. Tavares wrote in a statement. “We urge the use of life jackets and tethering to the vessel’s safety kill switch. These incidents can happen to the most experienced mariners.”