Happy day turns into rescue at sea Happy day turns into rescue at sea (May 19, 2004)

For Peggie Buckley of The Sequoias in Portola Valley, Saturday started out to be a happy day salmon fishing with her two sons and three grandsons. It ended up with the rescue of passengers and crew from a sinking fishing boat, and, by Monday, dramatic film takes on NBC 's Today show.

It turns out that filmmaker Richard Buckley of Mill Valley brought along his camera to take pictures of family hauling in salmon. So he was on-the-spot prepared when the "May Day" call came in, and their boat headed to the rescue over rough seas.

So Richard filmed while others pulled struggling people out of the ocean. One man died.

"It was tragic," said Mrs. Buckley, who lived in Atherton for 46 years. She hid out in the cabin to stay out of the way. "All I wanted to do was to pray for the people in the water."

E-mail a friend a link to this story.