GUANGZHOU, May 21 -- Eighteen people were rescued 30 hours after their fishing boat was stranded off the coast of south China's Guangdong Province due to engine failure.

The 18 people, including 13 fishing hobbyists and five crew, left Gangkou Town, Huizhou City on board a wooden boat early Monday morning to fish near an offshore oil rig, said the Huizhou City Maritime Bureau.

The boat's engine stopped working on Wednesday morning. The captain called another fishing vessel to pull it back, but the rescue attempt failed due to bad weather conditions.

After receiving a call for help, the maritime bureau of Huizhou immediately dispatched two patrol ships for the rescue operation. The fishing boat was pulled back on Thursday afternoon.

All 18 people were in good condition. The hobbyists were from Hong Kong, Macao and Guangdong Province.