Babies among 12 rescued from overturned pontoon

Twelve people, including two babies, have been rescued from an estuary south of Perth after they were thrown into the water when their pontoon was swamped by a passing boat.

The family set off about 7pm last night to look at canal Christmas lights when they claim they were cut off by a large white boat at the Mandurah estuary, with the backwash engulfing their vessel and flipping it upside down.

A four-month-old boy and six-month-old girl were saved by their parents who held them out of the water.

Two men were trapped under the vessel when it flipped but managed to return to the surface after kicking their way out from underneath.

Other water users rushed to save the group, taking them to a nearby boat ramp where they were met by waiting ambulances and transported to Peel Health Campus.

Marine Rescue retrieved the pontoon from the water.