The heroism of a seven-year-old boy is being celebrated after he swam for an hour to seek assistance for his family who were left stranded in a river.
According to amazing news, Chase Poust was hanging out with his dad, Steven, and his little sister, Abigail, at the start of Memorial Day weekend on Friday, May 28.
They rode a boat to the St. Johns River near Mandarin Point in Jacksonville, Florida, and stopped. Steven was going to fish while his two kids swam nearby.
The current was super strong, and Steven didn’t realize how strong it was. Before he knew it, seven-year-old Chase saw that Abigail, who had a life jacket on, was being pulled away from the boat.
Chase told WJXT news that the current was really powerful. He mentioned that his sister, who usually stays at the back of the boat, got swept away. Chase then let go of the boat to save her, but ended up getting stuck himself.
Chase wasn’t wearing a life jacket, but he released the boat to help his sister. Steven also leaped into the water to try to grab his daughter, but she continued to drift away.
Steven told News4Jax that he said he loved him because he didn’t know what would happen. He tried to be with both of them, but it was too much for him. She ended up drifting away from him.
Chase was really scared, but he managed to make it to the shore by switching between doggie paddle and floating on his back. He made sure not to get too tired so he could stay afloat.
Overall, the young boy battled the current for an hour before finally reaching the safety of dry land. Once there, he hurried off to find assistance.
Steven said, “I yelled really loud and waved my arms, and finally someone heard us. The little guy also made it to shore and got help, and that’s how we survived.”
Steven and Abigail got saved an hour later thanks to the Sheriff’s Office and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. They had floated a mile from their boat.
At a press conference, Eric Prosswimmer, who speaks for the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, said, “We had all the help we needed right away, and we’re glad to report that all three have been found and are all okay. We couldn’t have asked for a better result.”
That was a really close one! Thank goodness little Chase knew how to swim and got the help he needed so badly.
Parents, make sure to be super careful when you’re on the water with your kids. Anything can happen really fast, just like what happened here.
Don’t forget to post this article on Facebook to alert everyone about the risks and to give props to Chase for what he did!
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