A heartwarming story emerged recently, highlighting the bravery of Chase Poust, a seven-year-old boy who saved his family from a perilous situation by swimming for help. The incident occurred on Memorial Day weekend, May 28th, when Chase, his father Steven, and four-year-old sister Abigail went out boating near Mandarin Point in Jacksonville, Florida.
The family had anchored their boat on the St. Johns River, with the plan for Steven to enjoy some fishing while Chase and Abigail swam nearby. Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse when the current proved stronger than Steven had anticipated. Little Abigail, who was wearing a life jacket, was suddenly pulled away from the boat.
In a heartwarming interview with news channel WJXT, Chase recounted the terrifying moment: “The current was so strong that my sister … and she let go. So, I let go of the boat and grabbed her, and then, I was stuck.”Despite not having a life jacket himself, Chase bravely released the boat and tried to help his sister. Steven also jumped into the water in an attempt to rescue Abigail, but she continued to drift further away. Steven recalled, “I told them I loved him because I wasn’t sure what was going to happen. I tried to stick with both of them. I wore myself out. She drifted away from me.”
With tremendous courage and determination, Chase swam against the current for a whole hour, using a combination of doggie paddle and floating on his back to conserve energy. Finally, he reached dry land and promptly ran for help.