Boy, 10, drowns saving his little sister from Big Sioux River

‘He was my everything’, says father of boy in wake of incident

Ricky Lee Sneve, aged 10, who died on Sunday (GoFundMe/RickyEufers)

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.