A seven-year-old boy is being celebrated as a hero after swimming for an hour to get help for his family when they became stranded in a river.
According to remarkable reports, Chase Poust was out with his father, Steven, and four-year-old sister, Abigail, at the start of Memorial Day weekend on Friday, May 28.
They had taken a boat to the St. Johns River near Mandarin Point in Jacksonville, Florida, and anchored it. Steven planned to fish while his two children swam nearby.
However, the current was stronger than Steven had anticipated, and soon seven-year-old Chase noticed Abigail, who was wearing a life jacket, being pulled away from the boat.
“The current was so strong that my sister, who usually hangs out at the back of the boat, let go. So, I let go of the boat and grabbed her, and then I was stuck,” Chase said in an exclusive interview with news channel WJXT.
Chase, who wasn’t wearing a life jacket, let go of the boat to help his sister. Steven also jumped into the water to rescue his daughter, but she continued to drift away.
Steven told News4Jax, “I told them I loved them because I wasn’t sure what was going to happen. I tried to stay with both of them. I wore myself out. She drifted away from me.”
Despite being terrified, Chase managed to swim to shore, alternating between doggie paddle and floating on his back to avoid exhaustion.
The young boy swam against the current for an hour until he reached land. From there, he ran for help.
Steven explained, “I screamed for help at the top of my lungs and waved my arms, and sure enough, someone heard us. Little man made it to shore and got help, and that’s what saved our lives.”
Steven and Abigail were rescued an hour later with assistance from the Sheriff’s Office and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, having drifted a mile away from their boat.
At a news conference, Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department spokesperson Eric Prosswimmer said, “We had every resource we could have possibly had coming quickly, and we’re happy to say all three have been recovered and are doing well. We couldn’t ask for a better outcome.”
What a close call! Thank goodness Chase was able to swim and get the much-needed help.
Parents, always exercise extreme caution when out on the water with children. Things can change in the blink of an eye, as evidenced here.
Share this article on Facebook to warn others of the dangers and to praise Chase for his heroic efforts.
