A fisherman and one of his two sons drowned in Kandal province’s Muk Kampoul district on Saturday when their boat was hit by a storm while fishing on a lake, local police report.

Yern Sarat, district police chief of staff, said that Art Sina, 13, managed to swim to safety while his 6-year-old brother, Art Phenda, and his father, Chheng Art, 35, perished.

The three were casting nets in the lake behind their home in Sambuor Meas commune when a sudden torrential downpour sank their vessel, Sarat said, quoting Sina’s account of the incident.

“My father tried to help me and my brother, but about 20 metres away from the shore, my father said that he was extremely exhausted because my brother cannot swim and was squeezing him too tightly.

Then, he told me to swim ashore by myself.”

Sina told Sarat that his father and brother then disappeared in the waves 10 metres from the shore. After Sina reached the shore he ran to his grandparents for help, but by the time the victims were found they were already dead.