This is the heroic story of a 7-year-old boy who swam a mile after a boating accident to get help to save his drowning father and sister.
According to WJXT, Chase Poust and his 4-year-old sister, Abigail, were swimming alongside their father, Steven’s anchored boat. Suddenly, a strong current made her sister let go of the boat, and to save her, Chase let go.
Chase wasn’t wearing a life jacket, but Abigail had one on.
“She floated along with the current as their father jumped in the water trying to grab her while Chase tried to swim to shore,” per WJXT.
“The current was so strong that my sister — she usually hangs out at the back of the boat — and she let go. So, I let go of the boat and grabbed her, and then, I was stuck,” the little boy told the news outlet.
“I felt really scared,” he added.
When Steven saw his two kids stuck in the strong current of water, he jumped off his boat and tried to rescue them.
“I told them both I loved them because I wasn’t sure what’s going to happen. I tried to stick with her as long as I could,” said Steven. “I wore myself out, and she drifted away from me.”
The father-of-two said his son started swimming to the shore while he tried to save her daughter, who was being carried along with the water.
Speaking to the news station, Chase said that while he was swimming to the shore, he doggie paddled and floated on his back to ensure he didn’t get tired.
“The current was going the opposite way of going to the boat and the shore, so it was very hard to swim that way,” he told WJXT.
“I made it to shore after an hour while my dad and sister were stuck in the water for an hour longer before being rescued by Jacksonville firefighters — more than a mile away from the boat,” he recalled.
The brave child said that after reaching the shore, he immediately ran to the nearest home and knocked on the door.
“I screamed for help at the top of my lungs and waved my arms and sure enough someone heard us,” the father said. “Little man also made it to shore and got help and that’s what saved our lives.”
The family was rescued by Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department – Sheriff’s Office, and Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission helped save them.
According to the news outlet, Chase and Steven didn’t need to wear a life jacket, and only their 4-year-old daughter was required to do so as she was under the age of six.
“We’re here. By the grace of God, we’re here,” said Steven while being thankful for safely making it out of the difficult situation. “Little man … made it to shore and got help, and that’s what saved our lives.”
When the media asked young Chase how he became a skilled swimmer, he said, “I have no idea.”
Let us know your views about this story of a brave little boy.
Sources: WJXT
