A heroic moment was captured on camera when a man rescued a terrified 6-year-old boy stranded in the middle of a river. The dramatic footage, recorded on his GoPro, shows the emotional rescue as it unfolded.

On July 5, David Jones was fishing on the St. Louis River in Duluth when he noticed a young boy alone in the water. The child, wearing a life jacket, appeared panicked and helpless, struggling to stay afloat.

“It was a sound of pure fear—like something out of a horror movie. The boy was screaming, completely terrified,” Jones recalled.

Having served as a police officer, Jones instinctively jumped into action. His law enforcement background and experience as a behavioral health technician helped him remain calm and guide the child to safety.

“Can you swim to shore, or do you need help?” he asked the boy in the video.

Jones encouraged the child to hold onto his kayak and reassured him, offering words of strength and support.

“You’re strong, right? Just hold on for a few more seconds,” he told the boy as they made their way to shore.

Once on land, Jones sought help from a nearby house, asking for a towel to warm the boy up. They called 911 and waited for emergency responders to arrive.

Many online hailed Jones as a hero, but he remained humble, insisting he only did what anyone else would.

“It was 57 degrees outside, and the river's temperature was even colder. A child alone in the middle of the water is a dangerous situation,” he said.

Earlier that day, Jones had noticed the boy swimming near his father's sailboat. Not long after the rescue, the boy's father arrived, seemingly unfazed by the situation.

Jones informed the father about what had happened, but his response was indifferent.

“He just shrugged it off and said, ‘Sounds like he was a bit nervous,'” Jones said. “He even blamed the child, saying, ‘He knows how to swim to shore. We’ve been in this situation before.'”

In the video, the father can be heard instructing his son, “Calm down. Slowly swim to the shore. You've got this. We've been through this before.”

Duluth police later spoke with the father, who explained that he lost hold of a rope tied to the boat, and the currents prevented him from swimming to shore.

Jones remained concerned about the boy's health, noting that he was visibly shivering and turning blue. He later shared the video online to raise awareness about water safety.

Tragically, incidents like this are not uncommon. Just last year, a father lost his life in the same river while trying to save his daughter and another child.

“The river’s currents move in unpredictable ways. Many people underestimate their strength because they aren't always visible from the surface,” Jones explained.

Despite the dangerous conditions, the young boy showed remarkable resilience, clinging to hope and fighting to stay afloat.

“I think about him every day, hoping he's okay. I also hope he never has to go through something like this again,” Jones said.