Boy, 10, dies after heroically diving into river to save drowning little sister before being swept away

A YOUNG boy died when he was swept away by a river after heroically saving his drowning younger sister on Saturday.

Ricky Lee Sneve, 10, of Hudson, South Carolina, was out on the Big Sioux River with his siblings when a couple of the children fell into the water.

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Ricky was the oldest of four siblings and one step sibling[/caption]

Ricky and his dad immediately jumped in to pull them out, and Ricky was able to push his sister Chevelle back onto the shore, but afterwards, he was nowhere to be found.

“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,” his mother Nicole Eufers told the Sioux Falls Argus Leader.

A large-scale search mission for Ricky was announced by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office at 7pm on Saturday.

By 10.30 that night, the sheriff’s office reported on Facebook that a diver had found the brave boy’s body.

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A GoFundMe has been set up for Ricky’s family[/caption]

“He saved his sisters’ life and took his own,” Eufers said.

Ricky’s father Chad said his son was smart, dedicated, and conservative, and was the type of boy to do anything for anyone.

“He was generous, kind, and special in more ways than I can begin to explain,” the devastated father continued.

“He was my everything, and he touched everyone he encountered.”

His mother echoed that Ricky was her best friend.

“He taught me how to love and appreciate life. He never failed to amaze me.”

Ricky was the oldest of four siblings and one step sibling, and loved to fish and help his family cook and clean around the house.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help Ricky’s family pay for his funeral expenses.