7-Year-Old Florida Boy Swims For An Hour To Save His Dad, Sister

A seven-year-old boy is being hailed as a hero after he swam for over an hour to get help for his father and four-year-old sister. Steven Poust told WJXT that he took his two kids, Chase and Abigail, on a fishing trip on the St. Johns River near Jacksonville, Florida, over the holiday weekend.

Poust anchored the boat, so he could fish while his two kids were playing. The current was too strong for Abigal, and she started to float away from the boat. Chase didn't hesitate and let go of the boat to grab his sister, who was wearing a life jacket.

"The current was so strong that my sister – she usually hangs out at the back of the boat – and she let go. So, I let go of the boat and grabbed her, and then, I was stuck," Chase said.

When Poust realized his kids were in trouble, he jumped into the water and started swimming after Abigal. While Poust swam towards Abigal, Chase decided to swim towards the shore to get help.

"I told them I loved him because I wasn't sure what's going to happen," Poust told the news station. "I tried to stick with both of them. I wore myself out. She drifted away from me."

After an hour battling the rip current, Chase made it to dry land and ran the nearest home, screaming for help.

The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission all sent rescuers to search for Poust and Abigal. They found the pair floating in the water about a mile from their boat.

"I screamed for help at the top of my lungs and waved my arms, and sure enough, someone heard us," Poust said. "Little man also made it to shore and got help, and that's what saved our lives."

Photo: Getty Images