A 13-year-old boy survived a boating accident off the central California coast that killed his father and four others on board by hiding in a cooler.
Juladi “Jude” Khammoungkhoune was out crabbing with his relatives just off Bodega Bay late in the evening on Nov. 2 when their boat was violently tossed and flipped.
In the chaos, Jude’s father Prasong ordered his son to hide inside a cooler that had been on the boat. Prasong held onto the ice box as long as he could but eventually let go so Jude could float to safety, the teen told KGO.
“It was pretty terrifying to see my dad go too soon,” Jude told the local news station.
“I was crying and yelling out for my dad, so I could hear him say something again.”
The cooler, carrying Jude, eventually floated to shore. The boy slept on the beach that night and was found by first responders the following morning.
Jude was the only survivor. His father — who saved his son’s life — three other family members and a friend died when the boat capsized.
“I prayed to Jesus Christ and all of my family members that I can make it out alive and get to see my family and everybody that I know,” Jude told KGO.
The group had originally set out at 3 p.m. to celebrate the first day of the recreational Dungeness crab season with plans to return to shore by 7 p.m.
A family member waiting for them back on land called the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office when they didn’t turn up on time, who then contacted the Coast Guard, according to US Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Levi Read.
Search efforts officially concluded on Nov. 3 after teams covered more than 2,100 square miles, Read said. The body of Jude’s 17-year-old cousin was recovered during the search. The rest of the family has yet to be found.
Jude has since returned home to San Jose and is being cared for by other family members.
He said he was happy to be alive and united with his surviving relatives.
“It was like a good dream because I actually wanted to see my family again,” he said.
“It’s a really good thing I’m back with my family because I’m happy to see my family, and every one of my family members are supporting me throughout this journey without my father… I at least get to live a longer life.”
Two of Jude’s cousins set up a GoFundMe in Prasong’s memory to help support his grieving family, including Jude’s mother and his two younger siblings. By Tuesday, the fundraiser had surpassed its $50,000 goal, but donations continue to roll in.
