Boy, 7, swims a MILE to shore for an hour to get help for sister, 4, & dad after they were swept away by river

A BRAVE young boy swam a mile to the shore for over an hour to get help for his family after they were swept away by a river.

Little hero Chase Poust, 7, was determined to reach the shore and get help for his dad and his four-year-old sister Abigail after they were all stuck in a strong current.

The incident took place on Friday at  St John's River, by Jacksonville, where Chase and Abigail were swimming while their dad Steven was fishing from his boat.

While the boat was anchored, the little girl was suddenly swept away by a strong current, Jax4 reports.

Chase was holding onto the boat but he eventually let go to grab his sister and was also dragged by the current.

"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.

"I felt really scared," Chase said who was not wearing a life vest but Abigail was.

Mr Poust jumped in the water trying to catch the little girl while the seven-year-old started swimming towards the shore.

"I told them I loved him because I wasn’t sure what’s going to happen.

"I tried to stick with both of them. I wore myself out. She drifted away from me," he said before adding he told his son to swim to the shore.

Chase said he would doggie paddle, then float on his back to make sure he wouldn’t tire himself out.

"The current was going the opposite way of going to the boat and the shore so it was very hard to swim that way," he said.

He eventually reached the shore after an hour and quickly ran to the nearest home to ask for help.

The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, Sheriff’s Office and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission helped rescue the boy's family.

"I screamed for help at the top of my lungs and waved my arms and sure enough someone heard us," Mr Poust said.

"Little man also made it to shore and got help and that’s what saved our lives."

Mr Poust and his daughter had stayed in the water for more than two hours as they had drifted a mile away from the boat.

"We're here. By the grace of God, we're here," said the dad.

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