"Our plan was to go down and get walleyes," says Larry Vert of Thursday's fishing trip.

It was a trip that seemed harmless enough Thursday when it started for four mid-Michigan men.

Sixty-four-year-old Larry Vert of Lansing Township and three fishing pals drove down to Monroe, went fishing on Lake Erie, and headed for shore around 4:30 p.m.

That's when things went horribly wrong.

"The winds did get bigger, we ended up taking on some heavy waves," Vert says.

The men realized the boat was filling with water and was going to capsize.

"The boat finally flipped," says 52-year-old Roy Letson of Charlotte. He was on the boat as well with his 76-year-old father-in-law Doug Whittaker of Eaton Rapids, 63-year-old Ronnie Miller of Eaton Rapids, and Vert.

It was Letson's first major fishing trip.

"My father-in-law said 'Boys-- we better start praying,'" Letson recalls.

"We grabbed the edge of the boat, got ourselves up on the boat. At that point I felt it wasn't good, but they'll find us," Vert says.

But five o'clock passed, then six, then midnight, then daybreak-- and the search helicopters had still never found them.

"You don't really know how long the night is," Letson says.

Miller tells News 10 he felt like his body was giving up, and Whittaker says he was weak-- but their hope was not. All four men say they never stopped praying, and always believed they were going to make it.

Then, after nearly 26 hours of clinging onto the boat for dear life, a helicopter spotted them and a boat came in for the rescue.

"Nothing looked more beautiful than that light in the distance, and the helicopter swooping over us," Vert says.

"They said 'We're happy to see you,' and we said, 'No, we're more happy to see you guys!'" Letson says.

Vert's first call was to his wife.

"I said 'I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I couldn't communicate with you. I love you.'"

All four men tell us they are home now, and have been overwhelmed by phone calls, visitors and well-wishes from people around the country.