WASHINGTON — It was a close call for a group of boaters on the Potomac River who were rescued by good Samaritans early Friday.

The five boaters were near Founders Park in Alexandria, Virginia, around 2 a.m. when their boat hit a buoy and began to sink, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

That’s when nearby fishermen went in to help.

“Two fishermen heard some kind of loud sound, so they went to investigate,” said Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Jasmine Mieszala.  “They pulled those five people off and took them to shore.”

The five people were OK, and their 25-foot boat was later towed to shore.

“They were lucky,” said Mieszala.  “It could have been a very different situation if those good Samaritans were not around.”