A young boy was hailed as a hero for his efforts in saving his family after a boating accident. WBTV has the remarkable story.
The young boy’s name is Chase Poust. The seven-year-old went out with his father and his four-year-old sister to fish on St. John’s River. The boat was anchored in the river and the two children were swimming nearby.
The river current caught the young girl and swept her away from the boat in her life vest. The boy tried to grab onto her to save her, but also got caught in the current. He was not wearing a vest. The father dove in after the kids but wore himself out fighting the current. He was also without a vest.
He told Chase to swim to shore. It took him an hour to do it due to the current, but he managed to make it thanks to floating when he was tired. After making it to shore, Chase went to a nearby home and got help.
Florida Fish and Wildlife, along with police and fire crews from Jacksonville, eventually found the father and the sister. They had drifted more than a mile away from the boat.
Later, the police explained that given the size of the vessel and the age of Chase, neither he nor his father were required to wear vests. This could have turned out far worse, but it’s an excellent lesson in why learning how to swim and wearing a life vest are so important.
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