Boy, 10, drowns saving his little sister from Big Sioux River
‘He was my everything’, says father of boy in wake of incident
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A 10-year-old boy in South Dakota has died after saving his young sister from the Big Sioux River, according to reports.
Ricky Lee Sneve, who was identified by his family, was out on the water with his father and siblings when the incident occurred on Saturday.
His mother, Nicole Eufers, told the Argus Leader: “A couple of the siblings fell in the water. Dad jumped in for two of them, and Ricky jumped in to save his sister Chevelle.”
Rocky helped his sister get ashore, but when his father and siblings turned around they were not able to find him, added his mother. “He saved his sisters’ life and took his own.”
Officers from the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office (LCSO) and rescuers were called to the river, where Ricky’s body was recovered by divers on Sunday night.
The LCSO, in a statement to Facebook, described the incident as “tragic” and asked for members of the public to “please respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time”.
A GoFundMe page for Ricky was set up by his uncle, Ricky Eufers, who wrote: “My nephew jumped into the Big Sioux River to help his little sister who had fallen in and didn’t come back up to the shore after getting his little sister to safety.”
“He’d do anything to help his mum or anyone at that, without ever being asked,” added Mr Eufers. “Ricky gave his life trying to do what he knew was best.”
The boy’s father, Chad Snever, told the Argus Leader: "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.”
The Independent has reached out to LCSO for further comment.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments