It was a close call for three boaters on Lake Simcoe Thursday afternoon.

It happened around 1:30 p.m. when a man and his two teenage sons were boating on Kempenfelt Bay and their catamaran flipped over in rough water, throwing all three people overboard.

One of the teens was able to swim back to the overturned boat, however officers say the other teen and his father drifted away from the boat.

Police say an off-duty York Regional Police officer was boating in a nearby area and assisted in rescuing the people.

South Simcoe Police and York Regional Police responded to the incident.

According to marine operators, the waves on Lake Simcoe were between 3 and 4 feet highat the time, and the two men were floating in the water for 45 minutes.

Police say the outcome may have been very different had the boaters not been wearing their life jackets.