Originally published 2021-06-04.
On Friday, 28 May 2021, seven-year-old Chase Poust swam for roughly an hour against a strong current in Florida's St Johns River to reach land and get help for his father, Steven, and his four-year-old sister, Abigail. All three survived. Rescuers later found Steven and Abigail more than a mile from the family's anchored boat, near Mandarin Point in Jacksonville.
It is a story about a remarkably determined child, and also a reminder of how quickly a calm afternoon on a river can turn dangerous. Below is what happened, what the law did and did not require, and what families can take from it before their next trip on the water.
What happened on the St Johns River
It was the start of the Memorial Day weekend. Steven Poust had anchored his boat on the river so he could fish while his two children swam close by. According to the family's account to the Jacksonville station News4Jax, the current was stronger than it looked. Abigail lost her grip on the boat and was carried away; Chase let go too, and both children were pulled downstream.
Abigail had a life jacket on, which kept her afloat as she drifted. Chase did not. Their father jumped in after them, but holding on to two children in moving water proved impossible. "I tried to stick with both of them. I wore myself out," he later told reporters. He stayed with his daughter, and Chase, on his own, turned toward the bank.
How a seven-year-old made it to shore
Chase did not simply sprint for land, which might have exhausted him in minutes. He described a mix of doggie-paddling and floating on his back to rest, a technique water-safety instructors often teach children because it saves energy and keeps the airway clear. The current was running across his path rather than toward the shore, so every stroke was hard work.
He kept going for about an hour. When he finally reached land, he ran to the nearest house and asked for help. (Some retellings of the story said he ran to a restaurant; the original local report says it was a nearby home.) Looking back on the swim, Chase told News4Jax simply: "I felt really scared."
Fear is the normal response, and it makes his calm choices more impressive. Panic in the water tends to lead to thrashing, swallowing water and fast exhaustion. Floating, resting and moving steadily is exactly what a frightened swimmer of any age should try to do.
The rescue
While Chase was swimming, Steven and Abigail were still in the river. Steven said he shouted and waved his arms until someone on shore noticed them. Between his calls and his son's alarm, emergency services were alerted. Crews from the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) took part in the search.
By the time rescuers reached them, father and daughter had been in the water for around another hour after Chase reached land, and the current had swept them more than a mile from the boat. Steven gave his son the credit: "Little man also made it to shore and got help and that's what saved our lives."
What Florida law requires, and what it doesn't
After the rescue, JFRD's Eric Prosswimmer pointed out that neither Chase nor his father had been legally required to wear a life vest. That is correct, and the details are worth knowing.
Under Florida's boating rules, as set out by the FWC, every person aboard a vessel must have a wearable, US Coast Guard-approved life jacket that fits and is within easy reach. Only one group must actually wear one: children under six, on vessels shorter than 26 feet, while the vessel is underway. The FWC defines "underway" as any time the boat is not anchored, moored, tied to shore or aground.
That means the rule did not technically cover any of the children once the boat was anchored, and it never covers a seven-year-old. Abigail was wearing a life jacket because her family chose to put one on her, and it very likely made the difference. Legal minimums describe what you can be fined for; they are not a safety plan. The FWC itself urges everyone on board to wear a life jacket, whatever their age.
Why rivers catch strong swimmers off guard
Rivers can look slow and glassy on the surface while moving a great deal of water underneath. Wind, tides and channel shape all change the speed of the flow, and the St Johns, a wide, tidal river in its lower reaches around Jacksonville, can behave differently from hour to hour. Swimming off an anchored boat feels safe because the boat stays still, but the water around it does not.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists hidden currents, waves, vegetation and poor visibility as the main hazards of open water, and notes that drowning is often fast and silent. For children aged one to four, the CDC says drowning kills more than any other cause. Air-filled toys and pool floats are not life-saving devices, and swimming lessons, while valuable, do not replace supervision.
A common myth is that a person in trouble will splash and shout. In reality, someone who is struggling to keep their head above water often cannot call out at all. Steven Poust was lucky he was able to wave and be heard.
Practical lessons for families on the water
- Life jackets on, not just on board. Have every child, and ideally every adult, wear a properly fitted Coast Guard-approved life jacket whenever they are in or near open water, including while swimming off an anchored boat.
- Check the water first. Before anyone gets in, look at how fast debris or bubbles move past the hull. If it is quicker than walking pace, it is too fast for children to swim in.
- Use a tether line. A floating line trailed from the stern gives swimmers something to grab if they drift.
- Keep a throwable device ready. Florida requires vessels 16 feet and longer to carry a throwable Type IV flotation device. Know where it is and practise throwing it.
- Have one adult stay on the boat. A parent in the water cannot easily rescue two children at once, as this story shows. Someone on deck can throw a line, start the engine or call for help.
- Carry a way to call for help. A phone in a waterproof pouch or a marine VHF radio means you can reach the Coast Guard or 911 immediately.
- Teach children what to do if they drift. Float on your back, rest, do not fight the current head-on, and swim across it toward the nearest bank. Chase did all of this by instinct; most children need to be taught.
Chase Poust's swim deserves every bit of the praise it received. The best way to honour stories like his is to make sure no child ever has to repeat it.
Sources: News4Jax: Brave 7-year-old recounts hour-long swim to shore; Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission: boating regulations; CDC: Preventing drowning; story first shared by iHeartIntelligence.
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