‘By the grace of God:’ 7-yr-old boy saves dad and sister stuck in river

• Steven Poust and his children — Chase, 7, and Abigail, 4 — went on a boat ride on Friday, when suddenly, they were stuck in a strong current.
• Chase swam all the way to the shore, for one hour, to find help.
• Rescuers found Steven and Abigail, and all three made it to safety!

“Little man … made it to shore and got help, and that’s what saved our lives.”

These are the words of Steven Poust about his son Chase, who saved them from almost drowning as he and his daughter were stuck in a strong river current.

Over the Memorial Day weekend, Steven and his two kids, seven-year-old Chase and four-year-old Abigail, went on a boat ride on the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida. The two kids were enjoying their time in the water, when suddenly, Abigail lost hold of the boat when a strong current hit them.

“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 told news station WJXT.

He added that he “felt really scared.”

In a jiff, Steven jumped into the water to save them. He was able to grab Chase and told him to swim to shore as he was trying to save Abigail, who was being carried along with the current while wearing a floater.

“I told them both I loved them because I wasn’t sure what’s going to happen. I tried to stick with her as long as I could,” Steven recalled to WJXT. “I wore myself out, and she drifted away from me.”

Chase then didn’t waste a second and did what his father told him to do. With all his might, he began the long, one-mile-away swim back to land, which lasted for an hour! He tried floating on his back and doggie paddling to get to the shore.

As soon as he reached the coastline, he ran towards the nearest home to ask for help.

The little boy’s courage bore fruit. Florida Fish and Wildlife eventually spotted Steven and Abigail after an hour-long search. They also received help from Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

Steven was so grateful that they got out of the boat accident and made it through safely.

“We’re here. By the grace of God, we’re here,” the father of two said.

Surely, it was by God’s grace that they were all saved, as when Chase was asked how he learned to swim, he was honest to say that “I have no idea.”

Source: PEOPLE.com