Boy, 7, heroically swims for an hour to save dad and sister stuck in river: 'I felt really scared'

A young boy bravely swam for an hour to save his father and younger sister after they were swept away from their boat by a strong current.

It goes without saying that Steven Proust, father to seven-year-old Chase, and Abigail, four, is extremely proud of his son's heroic actions over Memorial Day weekend.

In an interview with WJXT, the family explained that on Friday, Chase and Abigail had been swimming within touching distance of their father's boat, which was anchored in the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida.

It was then when disaster struck and little Abigail lost her grip on the boat as she and her brother got caught in 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," Chase told the news outlet.

"I felt really scared," he added.

Steven, who had been in the boat, jumped into the river to protect his little ones from the current. He then decided that Chase should swim to shore while he tried to bring Abigail back to safety as she was being carried away by the current while in a flotation device.

"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 told WJXT. "I wore myself out, and she drifted away from me."

As Chase made his way back to shore, he switched between floating on his back and doggie paddling. The one-mile swim back to land took an hour, he told the news station.

When he finally made it, he recalled running to a nearby home and knocking on their door in order to get help.

Fortunately, Florida Fish and Wildlife, along with the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department and the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office were able to locate Steven and Abigail after searching for an hour.

Needless to say, the doting father felt emotional after the ordeal, telling the outlet: "We're here. By the grace of God, we're here. Little man… made it to shore and got help, and that's what saved our lives."

Featured image credit: Genevieve Vallee / Alamy