Featured Image Credit: Family Handout
Topics: News, US News, California
Gregory Robinson
A 13-year-old boy was saved by his dad after their boat capsized during a trip.
Juladi 'Jude' Khammoungkhoune is the only survivor after the boating accident claimed the lives of his dad, uncle, and three other family members.
The family went out crabbing near Bodega Bay, off the coast of California on November 2.
But tragedy struck when the boat capsized, sending all six passengers overboard into the cold water amid windy weather.
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"The boat couldn't handle it because the waves were pretty massive,” Khammoungkhoune told Fox affiliate KTVU. “They were really massive.”
The passengers rushed to grab life jackets while others tried to hang onto the boat.
Khammoungkhoune’s dad, Prasong, told his son to climb into the boat’s large cooler which they brought along for the trip.
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The young boy recalled his dad holding onto the cooler for as long as he could before he tragically disappeared under the water.
"I was crying and yelling out for my dad, so I could hear him say something again," Khammoungkhoune recalled.
The teen said he was also worried about his family. "What was going through my mind is if I was going to make it, see my family ever again.”
Khammoungkhoune spent hours drifting through the water in the cooler before reaching the shore. “I just had to hang on really tightly and let the waves get inside the cooler and push me to the shore,” he shared.
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“And it was really cold and I was tired, so I just had to sleep on my life jacket and make do, so I could live.”
After he came ashore, Khammoungkhoune hiked up a road and found a campsite where he was able to ask the people to call 911.
His family are relieved the teen made it home, but are also grieving the loss of their loved ones who perished.
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“It’s pretty sad without him,” Khammoungkhoune said.
Rescue crews searched for the missing boaters but they have so far only recovered the body of one teenager, Khammoungkhoune’s cousin.
The family are now planning to hold a vigil in Bodega Bay on November 16 at 6pm at West Side Regional Park. They have also launched a GoFundMe to help Prasong’s wife and three young children.
The fundraising page was set up by Prasong’s nephews, Kyle and Thavi, who described him as a father figure.
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“He was a rock in our lives, raising us with love, laughter, and guidance,” they wrote. “Now, we’re suddenly standing in his place, caring for his wife—our aunt—and his three young children.”