The family had reportedly been crabbing just south of Augustine Beach when their crab lines tangled with the propellers.
The winds shifted, the tide began to come in, and the boat started taking on water, the family said.
It was too quick for Donna Wallace, who found herself trapped after the family's boat flipped over.
She says she was stuck for about 40 minutes.
"I was underwater, there was a pocket of air inside the cabin, so I remained calm," Wallace told Action News. "You know it's survival, you know, you have to do what you gotta do."
Wallace said thankfully, she could hear her husband talking, so she knew help was coming.
Rescue teams used a chainsaw to cut the boat and free Wallace, authorities say.
Everyone was OK after the incident.