Seven-year-old Chase Poust is being called a hero after swimming about a mile to shore to get help while his dad and four-year-old sister were stuck in the river’s current.
Chase and Abigail Poust were out on Florida’s St. John’s river with their dad Steven. The two kids were swimming in the river nearby the anchored boat while their dad fished.
The little girl wore a life jacket and held onto the boat. But, the power of water is fierce. Abigail tried to hold onto the anchored boat but the current pulled her away.
They soon found themselves in a strong current and in a life or death situation.
Buoyed by her life jacket, the little girl began drifting away. Since Chase is older than 6, he is not required to wear a life jacket .
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“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,” Chase said.
Boy’s Long Swim To Shore
Steven Poust was living a parent’s worst nightmare.
They all could die. The only real option was to have his seven-year-old son try to get to shore and call for help.
The father jumped in the water to grab his young daughter while his son set out for shore.
Steven didn’t know if he would ever see Chase again when he swam off.
“I told them I loved him because I wasn’t sure what’s going to happen,” Poust told a local news reporter. “I tried to stick with both of them. I wore myself out. She drifted away from me.”
Chase did everything he could. He alternated between swimming, doggie paddling, and floating to fight the exhaustion.
An hour after risking it all, the young boy remarkably reached shore. He then ran to the nearest house and called for help.
Rescue Teams Arrive
Rescue teams sprung into action. Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission got to the scene quickly.
They located the father-daughter duo about a mile away from the anchored boat.
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“I screamed for help at the top of my lungs and waved my arms and sure enough someone heard us,” the grateful father said. “Little man also made it to shore and got help and that’s what saved our lives.”
When asked how he became such a great swimmer, Chase said he has “no idea.”
Seven-year-old Chase accomplished something remarkable that many people much older cannot handle.
He stayed calm and got through it, saving his dad, sister, and himself. An interview with this hero and his family is in the video below.
Chase’s dad said, “We’re here. By the grace of God, we’re here. Little man … made it to shore and got help, and that’s what saved our lives.”