Canadian family members rescued from Pacific ocean

HONOLULU — Three members of a Canadian family attempting to cross the Pacific in a sailboat have been rescued after being thrown into the ocean after encountering strong winds and rough seas that battered and disabled their vessel hundreds of miles from Hawaii.

The father, his 9-year-old son, and one of the boy's uncles were adrift after their boat's mast snapped and engine overheated in harsh conditions.

A massive cargo ship arrived to help early Wednesday but created a huge swell that sank the 38-foot sailboat. All three were tossed overboard.

Crew members aboard the nearly 900-foot-long ship reached the uncle and pulled him aboard. But the father and son began to drift away.

Crew members were eventually able to pluck them to safety. All three arrived to Honolulu early Thursday.