Hero 10-Year-Old Boy Dies After Saving Younger Sister From Big Sioux River

A Hudson, South Dakota 10-year-old boy has been hailed a hero after he died saving his drowning younger sister in the Big Sioux River on Saturday.

The body of Ricky Lee Sneve was recovered the night of June 12, according to Lincoln County Sheriff's Office (LCSO). He was out on the river with his father and siblings when several of the children fell into the water near Hudson, in southeastern South Dakota, his mother Nicole Eufers said, according to the Associated Press.

The boy's father, Chad Sneve, was able to get two of the kids back to the shore when the younger Sneve, without any hesitation, jumped into the waters to save his sister Chevelle. The 10-year-old managed to get the little girl back to safety.

However, when his father and siblings turned around, the boy had already gone missing, swallowed up by the waves.

At about 7 p.m. Saturday, authorities launched a large-scale rescue operation near Hudson, the Argus Leader reported. Multiple agencies assisted the LCSO in scouring the Big Sioux River area for the missing 10-year-old boy, a post on Facebook stated.

The sheriff's office later reported on social media that a dive team had retrieved the boy's body around 10:30 p.m. The family confirmed that the body belonged to the young Sneve.

The Sneve patriarch noted that his son, the oldest of Eufers' four children, would do anything for anyone, and was very dedicated and conservative, KMEG noted.

“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 father lamented.

Eufers said that the 10-year-old was her best friend. The young hero, who has one step-sibling, also enjoyed fishing as well as "wrenching,” a hobby he learned from his father and working on his four-wheeler with his stepfather. He would also offer to help his stepmother cook and clean around the house. His parents had long parted ways but remained civil for their children.

A GoFundMe page was set up by the boy's uncle, Ricky Eufers, who described the young Sneve as a "very intelligent and smart young boy who loved his family and was an adventurous little guy."

The fundraising effort has since raised $23,333 of its $25,000 goal to help cover the boy's funeral costs.