Toddlers abducted by father rescued from stolen sailboat

Two toddlers abducted by their father from their California home were rescued from a stolen sailboat off the Monterey Peninsula.

The father, Christopher Maffei, 43, was taken into custody Friday by the US Coast Guard, reported CNN. Earlier that day, the 41-foot sailboat, named "Unleashed," was spotted between Pillar Point and Monterey, and was being followed by a Coast Guard aircraft.

According to the Associated Press, the FBI and South San Francisco police were also involved in the low-speed chase. Police said Maffei had removed his 3-year-old daughter Brooklynn and 2-year-old son Devin from their mother Jennifer Hipon's home while she was out.

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Their investigation determined that Maffei drove to Ballena Isle Marina in Alameda to steel the sailboat and sail away with the two children, reported NBC News. His rental car was found abandoned in the marina parking lot and towed for evidence.

Maffei is said to be the former boyfriend of Hipon, according to the AP. She told reporters that she was at a courthouse filing custody documents on Tuesday when he showed up at her house and took Brooklynn and Devin from her elderly mother.

On Thursday, Hipon pleaded for her children to be returned safely.

"I want the Coast Guard, the Navy, anybody who has a boat: Please look for my children and bring them back to me. … I am afraid for my children's lives," Hipon told KPIX.