When his family was stuck in a river, the seven-year-old child swam for an hour to reach aid, and now he is being praised as a hero.
Over Memorial Day weekend in Jacksonville, Florida, Chase Poust was out with his father Steven and sister Abigail, age four. They were around Mandarin Point. Abigail was dragged away from their boat by the current while Steven was fishing.
The strength of the river caused my sister to lose her grip. I was stranded after letting go of the boat and grabbing her, Chase said to WJXT.
Chase swam to shore without a life jacket, switching between doggie paddling and floating on his back. After an hour, he landed and raced for assistance.
“I screamed for help at the top of my lungs and waved my arms, and sure enough, someone heard us,” Steven clarified.
An hour later, Steven and Abigail were found after drifting a mile from their boat. “We couldn’t ask for a better outcome,” said Eric Prosswimmer, a spokesman for Jacksonville Fire & Rescue.
