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7-year-old boy swims an hour to shore after his dad and sister were swept away by the current
He had to alternate between floating and doggo paddling to avoid getting exhausted easily. Once he reached land, he went to the nearest home and called for help.
Rozzette Cabrera
06.04.21

When faced with a disaster or tragedy, it’s hard to think straight. Most people would panic while others would just give up and accept their fate.

Chase Proust, a 7-year-old boy, is being praised as a hero for saving his dad and his sister.

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YouTube Screenshot-News4JAX

The three went out during Memorial Day Weekend. His dad Steven Proust took them to St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida to go boating.

Everything was going well at first.

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YouTube Screenshot-News4JAX

The father anchored the boat. While he was fishing, the kids played near him.

Then, Abigail, Chase’s sister, got carried away in the current.

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YouTube Screenshot-News4JAX

Chase recalled:

“The current was so strong that my sister β€” she usually hangs out at the back of the boat β€” and she let go. So, I let go of the boat and grabbed her, and then, I was stuck.”

Seeing his sister being washed away, Chase swam after her. When Steven noticed what was happening with the kids, he quickly jumped in to hopefully grab them.

Unfortunately, the dad failed.

The three of them got carried away from the boat. And to make things worse, only Abigal was wearing a life jacket.

At that point, they felt hopeless.

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YouTube Screenshot-News4JAX

In an interview with WJXT, Steven shared:

“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. I wore myself out, and she drifted away from me.”

Even though he was scared, Chase went out on a mission.

He swam back to land. The journey took an hour for him.

He had to alternate between floating and doggo paddling to avoid getting exhausted easily. Once he reached land, he went to the nearest home and called for help.

When asked how he managed to be that great in swimming, the boy answered:

“I have no idea.”

An hour later, Steven and Abigail were found in the water.

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A huge team went out to look for them. The Sheriff’s Department, Fire and Rescue Department, and the Fish and Wildlife Department joined forces to save the brave boy’s family.

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YouTube Screenshot-News4JAX

What Chase did was heroic.

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YouTube Screenshot-News4JAX

And people who’ve heard of his story got nothing but praises for his bravery. At such a young age, he was able to come up with a plan to save his father and sister.

One YouTube user said:

“Heroes come in small packages!πŸ’ͺπŸ‘πŸ‘ He is so brave! πŸ‘πŸ‘πŸ‘πŸ‘πŸ‘”

Another one commented:

“Wow 😳 brave boy! Good thing he knew to float! A life saving skill”

There was also this YouTube user who had a good realization after watching Chase’s story:

“What a hero , this is why it’s important to teach kids how to swim as young as possible and always wear flotation devices”

The family was lucky.

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YouTube Screenshot-News4JAX

Steven knows that they got fortunate to have made it out of the water safely. And he owes it to his son.

He shared:

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

Watch Chase’s full story below!

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