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An Ottawa-area father drowned in Cuba last week while trying to save his seven-year-old son, who narrowly survived after a large wave overwhelmed the pair.

According to reports, Yue Liu was in shallow waters at a beach resort in Varadero with his son Connor on the last day of their family vacation, when a wave swept them out to deeper waters.

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Liu was able to keep his son’s head above water until another Canadian man swam out to rescue the boy. However, by the time a lifeguard and others managed to get to Liu, it was too late.

Liu’s partner Fanyan Bu, and their nine-year-old daughter, Crystal, were at the resort’s pool when the accident happened.

“[Connor] couldn’t swim back so my husband pushed him to shore, tried to push him and the last thing my husband said to him ]was] ‘I cannot save you anymore,'” Bu told the CBC.

A website has been set up donations to help the family, who were without life or travel insurance.

The family says they are looking at $30,000 in costs, including $10,000 to transport Liu’s body back to Canada.