( CNN ) -- One moment they were reeling in a fish , and the next they were shipwrecked . Two American siblings , Dan and Kate Suski , are recovering on the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia after a weekend fishing trip turned into a harrowing experience . Their charter boat sank Sunday , and the pair endured many hours in the water before reaching a beach , a Saint Lucia police detective said . Four people were on the boat -- the two Americans , a captain and one crew member . A Saint Lucia resident found the Suski siblings on the beach and called police , the detective said . The captain and crew member were found hours later . `` We are feeling stronger each day and looking forward to reuniting with family and friends , '' Dan Suski told CNN via e-mail . He and his sister expect to return to the United States by Sunday . `` They told me they had a fish on the line , and were fighting the fish , then heard a noise , '' said David Suski , an older brother who was not on the trip but was briefed by his siblings . The captain checked out the engine room , which was filling up with water , David Suski said . It was only about `` three to five minutes from the time they heard the noise to when they had to abandon the boat and it sank , '' he said . The sea was very rough , and it soon became dark , David Suski said . Officials later told them their boat sank about 12 miles off the coast . `` They are feeling lucky to be alive -- it was quite an ordeal -- both my brother and sister were treated for dehydration and when they made it shore , they drank from a stream , so they also were given antibiotics in case the water was n't clean , '' David Suski said . Both Dan and Kate Suski can swim and had life jackets on , but that did n't make it any less scary . The pair spent two days in a hospital after reaching land .
The boat two siblings were on sank on Sunday off the coast of Saint Lucia . They spent many hours in the water before reaching shore . All four people on the boat survived .