A quiet day at the lake turned into a harrowing ordeal for a West Kelowna couple, their two boys and family friends who came across a North Vancouver family, including a three-year-old toddler, who were struggling to stay alive on Osoyoos Lake.

On the afternoon of Sunday, Aug. 4, Kyle and Jacqueline Boudreau were enjoying a day on the lake with their friends Derek and Erin Martin and their three young kids.

They had spent the day swimming and boating when the wind started howling and they decided it was time to head back to shore.

害羞草研究所淲e were down in Osoyoos visiting friends and took them all out on our new boat and had a bunch of fun,害羞草研究所� said Kyle. 害羞草研究所淲e were later into the afternoon and we had been on the boat for most of the day. 害羞草研究所淭he wind then suddenly picked up dramatically and we were starting to drift, so we realized it was pretty much time to go. Jacqueline took the wheel and we got everybody on board and were heading back, when she noticed a family in distress.害羞草研究所�

Things quickly turned scary, said Jacqueline.

害羞草研究所淚 was driving and I saw these hands frantically waving in the air,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淚 looked over to my left and it was clear there were three people in the water and they needed some help. I told Kyle and everyone on board that they need help.害羞草研究所�

Kyle, 38, also quickly realized these three strangers were in trouble.

害羞草研究所淚t was very clear there were people in distress and there was a family separated from their boat,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淭he wind was blowing one way and the current was going the other way and they were moving further away from their boat. I assumed they had gone for a swim and somehow got separated from their boat.害羞草研究所�

They started moving their boat towards them.

He saw a man and woman were not wearing lifejackets, but the three-year-old girl was, said Jacqueline, 33.

害羞草研究所淭he little girl was in the middle and the wife was in big trouble as it was clear she was close to drowning,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淗er head kept dropping under the water and her hands were just above the water and she was flailing.害羞草研究所�

The husband was screaming to help his wife, so Kyle decided he had no choice but to take action.

害羞草研究所淗e was screaming 害羞草研究所榮ave my wife, she害羞草研究所檚 drowning害羞草研究所�,害羞草研究所� said Kyle. 害羞草研究所淚 signalled to my wife to get me as close as she could. I dove in and was able to get to her pretty quickly. I got beside her and grabbed her right arm. She wasn害羞草研究所檛 holding on to me. That害羞草研究所檚 when I realized just how frail she was. I turned over onto my back and placed her on my chest and made sure her head was above water and got her back to the boat.

害羞草研究所淎t the same time, my buddy Derek Martin jumped in the water and grabbed the little girl. The husband then linked up with Derek and the baby and we managed to get them back to the boat. It was a pretty frightening scenario. I don害羞草研究所檛 think any of us thought she had more than 20 or 30 seconds of fighting left in her.害羞草研究所�

It took the woman more than 15 minutes to fully come around and realize she was safe and her little girl and husband had also been rescued, he said.

害羞草研究所淪he was looking around and trying to process everything,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淪he was so close to drowning and was absolutely in shock.害羞草研究所�

Kyle drove the couple害羞草研究所檚 pontoon boat, while Jacqueline drove their boat back to shore.

The entire rescue happened in two or three minutes, but it seemed much longer, said Kyle.

Throughout the incident, the little girl 害羞草研究所渞emained extraordinarily calm, even though you could tell she was also in shock,害羞草研究所� he said.

Boudreau said the fact he was a competitive swimmer growing up definitely played a major role in the rescue.

害羞草研究所淚 belonged to a couple of swim teams in South Surrey and White Rock,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淓ven my Dad, when I got home, said good thing we put you in the Sea Wolves program. It really paid off this time.害羞草研究所�

After dropping them off at their hotel, Kyle said goodbye, but decided to return later in the day.

害羞草研究所淚 needed some closure,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淚 drove back to their hotel 害羞草研究所� told the people at the front desk what had happened.害羞草研究所�

He called them and was invited up to their room.

害羞草研究所淭hey were all lying in bed and much calmer and just trying relax and absorb all the emotions and trauma of what had happened,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淚 got a couple of hugs and handshakes and they wanted to exchange information. I gave them my name and told them I was just super happy to help.害羞草研究所�

Kyle runs a business in Vancouver and on Friday, he received a gift basket and heartfelt note from the family.

The note read: 害羞草研究所淒ear Kyle Boudreau and Family: Thank you for saving my life. Your timing and rescue brought us to safety in our most dire moment ever and we are so so very grateful to you and your family. You are forever in our hearts as our hero and we are  thankful of God害羞草研究所檚 divine timing of your appearance in our lives. Just a small token included here to send our love and gratitude your way. Thank you once again.害羞草研究所�

While many people are going to call him and his wife and friends heroes, Kyle said they just consider themselves lucky to have been in the right place at the right time.

害羞草研究所淲e feel so fortunate, lucky and privileged to have been able to help,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淚 told them they didn害羞草研究所檛 have to thank us. We were just lucky to help.

害羞草研究所淚t absolutely, 100 per cent feels really great to have helped save their lives. It害羞草研究所檚 something I害羞草研究所檒l carry with me for the rest of my life. But I害羞草研究所檓 not looking to be called a hero at all, because it boils down to being there at the right moment and having the ability to know that I am a strong enough swimmer to take this on.害羞草研究所�

Jacqueline feels the same way.

害羞草研究所淚 was the lucky one to first see them,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淚f I turned the other way, we might not have been able to help and things could have turned out much differently.害羞草研究所�

The entire incident is a reminder of how quickly things can go wrong on and near water and the importance of wearing a lifejacket, said Kyle.

He and his wife have two young boys and said being able to assist a young family during an emergency is satisfying.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 just a really good feeling to be there and be able to help,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 hard to deal with the reality of what could have happened, but it didn害羞草研究所檛 and we害羞草研究所檙e all really thankful for that.害羞草研究所�