Gina Heslop
A seven-year-old boy named Chase Poust is being celebrated as a hero after he swam for an hour to get help when his family became stranded in a river.
The incident happened at the beginning of Memorial Day weekend on Friday, May 28. Chase was out with his father, Steven, and his four-year-old sister, Abigail, on a boat trip to the St. Johns River near Mandarin Point in Jacksonville, Florida. They had anchored their boat, planning for Steven to do some fishing while his children swam nearby.
However, the river’s current was much stronger than Steven had anticipated. Chase noticed that his sister, Abigail, who was wearing a life jacket, was being pulled away from the boat by the current. Chase, who was not wearing a life jacket, let go of the boat to try and help his sister. Steven also jumped into the water to try and rescue Abigail, but she continued to drift away.
Steven later explained that he told his children he loved them because he was unsure what would happen next. He tried to stay with both kids but became exhausted. “I wore myself out. She drifted away from me,” he said.
Despite being scared, Chase managed to swim to shore by alternating between doggie paddle and floating on his back to conserve energy. He swam for an hour against the current until he finally reached dry land. Once on shore, he ran to find help.
Steven recalled screaming for help and waving his arms until someone heard him. Thanks to Chase’s courageous swim to shore, they were able to get help. The Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission were alerted and rescued Steven and Abigail about an hour later, finding them a mile away from their boat.
At a news conference, Eric Prosswimmer, a spokesperson for the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, praised the quick response and expressed relief that all three were recovered safely. “We couldn’t ask for a better outcome,” he said.
