A family was rescued by good Samaritans from a sinking boat on the Great South Bay this weekend.

The family was near Gardiner County Park late Sunday afternoon when their 18-foot boat started taking on water.

Christine Contreras, 11, was among the family members who were rescued. "Water was filling in the boat," she recalls. "We didn't know what to do." The entire family jumped into the bay and signaled for help.

Justin Deak and his family spotted the sinking boat and called 911. Deak, his brother and a friend who was also on board are all trained firefighters from West Islip.

"I jumped in and I thought children first, so I grabbed the two little girls," says Deak.

The men also rescued Contreras' father, her aunt and her 69-year-old grandmother just as police boats arrived.

Police say the victims refused medical treatment once they got back to the shore.