Christopher Burgess still has nightmares.

That's because a fishing trip he went on with his mother and father took an almost fatal turn.

Now his mother wants to publicly thank the two men who rescued them from certain death.

In a letter published in The Royal Gazette Mrs. JoAnne Burgess wrote: "We want to thank God for sending Mr. Freddie Smith and Mr. Sterlin Smith to get us...for truly it was a miracle...'' The family left Devonshire Dock in their 14-foot boat around 9.00 a.m. having been delayed for about an hour.

Once they were five miles out by North Rock, the previously calm wind became fierce.

Christopher's mother, who was driving the boat at the time, was trying to turn around when a large wave struck the boat turning it over.

"We didn't even have time to get the life jackets,'' she said. "I couldn't find my little boy at first because some rope from the boat had wrapped around his leg.'' "We were able to put on three of the life vests, but we had swallowed a lot of water.'' Their hopes of being rescued soon after that spill were dashed after they saw a tug boat located inside the channel.

"We screamed at it and waved a life jacket but they did not see us because the off-shore breeze was blowing us out to sea.

"My husband decided that our only hope of getting rescued would be for him to swim back to shore, but my son panicked and asked me to pray.

"After we finished praying my husband agreed to wait for another hour.'' Meanwhile, fishermen Mr. Frederick and Sterlin Smith were looking for a friend who was also fishing in that area.

As their 40-foot craft plowed through the water Mr. Frederick Smith said he noticed something red and they went toward it.

"The closer we got we realised that it was a person waving a life jacket,'' Mr. Frederick Smith explained.

For the next 20 minutes both men battled the winds and waves and managed to get Christopher to safety first followed by his mother and father.

"It was the most helpless, terrifying experience I've ever had,'' Mrs.

Burgess said. "The boat was extensively damaged all the safety flares and fishing stuff were lost but those men were very nice to us.

"Even now the memory is still nerve racking, my son still sleeps with us because he is terrified and it will take a while before he has his courage back.'' LUCKY ESCAPE -- Mrs. JoAnne Burgess and her son Christopher, 10, sit on their 14-foot boat which overturned in rough seas three weeks ago.