The boy’s parents have said he would do anything for anyone.
A 10-year-old boy died in the US while saving his younger sister from drowning last weekend, his family said.
Ricky Lee Sneve had been on a fishing trip with his father and three siblings in the Big Sioux River in South Dakota when his siblings fell in the water. His dad Chad Sneve jumped in to save two, while Ricky jumped in to get his sister Chevelle.
The boy was able to get his sister back on-shore, but when his siblings and father turned around, he was missing.
On Saturday evening at around 7pm, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office announced on Facebook that a large-scale rescue operation was underway near the town of Hudson. By 10.30pm, a dive team had recovered Ricky’s body from the Big Sioux River.
“He saved his sister’s life and took his own,” the boy’s mother, Nicole Eufers, told the Argus Leader.
Dad Chad added that his son was the type to do anything for anyone. “He was generous, kind and special in more ways than I can begin to explain. He was my everything, and he touched everyone he encountered.”
More and more stories of tragic drownings are emerging across the Northern Hemisphere, including here in Ireland, as we get deeper into summer and families take up various water-based activities.
Water Safety Ireland is urging people to be aware of the best safety practices and to be vigilant of the risks, particularly as Ireland has been without swimming lessons for 15 months.
