Two men duck hunting around Prince William Sound Saturday afternoon flipped their canoe in a lagoon, and everyone involved says the young son of one of them saved their lives with a quick call for help. 
We always take a water taxi out to one of these cabins, and use the canoe just to navigate very short distances, very close to shore," Operator said. They hunt from land, he said. On Saturday afternoon, Subject, 11, shot a duck from shore, said Water taxi operator, who owns and runs Lazy Otter Charters, the Whittier-based water taxi service that dropped the group off and later would be key in the rescue. The men launched the canoe to retrieve the downed bird. Their life jackets were in the cabin. They didn't take time to put them on. The duck was so close, maybe 50 feet from shore. Subject stayed behind.
Operator used his paddle to try to scoop up the bird."In the act of reaching for the duck in the water, the boat tipped," Operator said. Both men tumbled out. The canoe filled up with water in what seemed like two seconds, he said. Usually, Operator said, they bring a dog to fetch ducks but decided it was too cold and wouldn't be humane.
They shouted to Subject to get the satellite phone and call 911.It takes several steps to make a call on a satellite phone. Either Subject remembered how or read the laminated instructions in the phone case.
At 3:23 p.m., the Coast Guard got the call."We were just thrilled that the young man in the cabin had the ... thinking skills to call 911 and report what had happened as quickly as he did," said Coast Guard spokeswoman. "Reporting to another authority that can help is essential in a situation like this and ultimately saved their lives."The Coast Guard launched a helicopter from Kodiak and diverted its 110-foot cutter, the Long Island, from elsewhere in Prince William Sound.

Whittier                      