A seven-year-old boy is being hailed as a hero after he swam for an hour to get help for his family when they became stranded in a river.
Chase Poust was out with his father, Steven, and four-year-old sister, Abigail, on Memorial Day weekend near Mandarin Point in Jacksonville, Florida. While Steven was fishing, the current pulled Abigail away from their boat.
“The current was so strong that my sister … let go. So, I let go of the boat and grabbed her, and then, I was stuck,” Chase told WJXT.
Chase, not wearing a life jacket, swam to shore, alternating between doggie paddle and floating on his back. He reached land after an hour and 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.”
Steven and Abigail were rescued one hour later, having drifted a mile away from their boat. Jacksonville Fire and Rescue spokesperson Eric Prosswimmer said, “We couldn’t ask for a better outcome.”