Juladi "Jude" Khammamoungkoune is still coming to terms with the events of last Saturday afternoon, when the crabbing boat he was on with his dad, uncle and cousins capsized.
"It was pretty scary and we were all trying to get up on the surface to hang on the boat with our life jackets on," the 13-year-old Jude said.
All six people ended up in the frigid waters of Bodega Bay. Jude was the only survivor of the cabbing trip.
On Monday, officials identified the body of Jude's older cousin, 17-year-old JJ, also called Johnny.
Jude said that after the boat flipped, he and his dad, 45-year-old Song, tried to cling to their cooler, floating in the water.
"I was on the cooler and then my dad let go," Jude said. "I was looking for him, and I was in tears."
Jude eventually made it back to shore alone. In the morning, he said he found a couple at a campsite who called 911 and Sonoma County Sheriff officers launched a search for the missing group.
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Khanece Khammamoungkoune, Jude's paternal aunt, described that the police searched the waters but ended the search since they couldn't find those missing.
"They said they searched for as long as they did and they gave us an understanding of how wide the search was," Khanece said. "And then after a certain amount of time, they said it's presumed that he's just gone, so they ended the search."
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Jude's dad Song, a skilled crabber for over 20 years, was born in Thailand as the youngest of four siblings.
"He was so giving, and I'll do anything to bring him back," Jude said.
Now the Khammamoungkoune family, including Jude's mom and his two younger siblings, are navigating the unknown.
"We're just taking it one day at a time," Khanece said.
A vigil planned to honor the four missing boaters is scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16, at Westside Regional Park, located at 2400 West Shore Road in Bodega Bay.
