A touching tale of bravery recently emerged, showcasing the heroism of seven-year-old Chase Poust, who saved his family from a dangerous situation by swimming to find help. This courageous act took place over Memorial Day weekend, on May 28th, when Chase, his father Steven, and four-year-old sister Abigail went boating near Mandarin Point in Jacksonville, Florida.
The family had anchored their boat on the St. Johns River, with Steven planning to fish while Chase and Abigail swam nearby. However, things took a sudden and frightening turn when the current turned out to be stronger than expected. Abigail, who was wearing a life jacket, was swept away from the boat.In a heartfelt interview with WJXT, Chase described 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 let go of the boat to assist his sister. Steven jumped in to help as well, but Abigail continued to drift further away. Steven shared, “I told them I loved them because I wasn’t sure what was going to happen. I tried to stay with both of them. I wore myself out. She drifted away from me.”
With incredible bravery and persistence, Chase swam against the current for an entire hour, using a mix of doggie paddling and floating on his back to conserve energy. Eventually, he reached land and immediately ran for help.I screamed for help at the top of my lungs and waved my arms, and sure enough, someone heard us,” Steven recalled. “Little man also made it to shore and got help, and that’s what saved our lives.”
Help arrived in the form of the Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, who managed to rescue Steven and Abigail an hour later. They had drifted a mile from their boat, but both were unharmed.
During a news conference, Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department spokesperson Eric Prosswimmer expressed immense relief and gratitude: “We had every resource we could have possibly had coming quickly, and we’re happy to say all three have been recovered, and all three are doing well. We couldn’t ask for a better outcome.
