Kayak angler David “D.J.” Jones Jr. nearly broke the internet when he posted this video of himself rescuing a young boy from the St. Louis River near his home in Duluth, Minnesota. The six-year-old had become separated from the family sailboat when it pulled anchor and was quickly swept away in the powerful currents.
Jones, who was fishing nearby, vividly recalls the boy’s cry for help. “It was just one of those gut-wrenching screams,” says Jones, 31, a behavioral therapist who frequently posts videos online of his trophy bow hunts and other outdoor pursuits.
“It was life-changing. You’ll never hear kids’ screams the same way after, even if they’re playing,” he says. “I looked up to my right and the boy was getting pulled from the Minnesota side over to the Wisconsin side of the river, out to the main current.” The river, a tributary of Lake Superior, is about 1,000 feet wide where Jones was fishing near Boy Scout Landing in Duluth.
In all his years hunting and fishing Jones had never experienced anything so adrenaline-charged as the moment he brought his sit-inside Pelican kayak alongside the child. He immediately began to reassure the boy.
“I looked at him and told him he was okay. I asked if he was strong. When he said yes, I said, ‘Well, I need you to be strong for a few more seconds.’”
Jones knew it would take several minutes to get to shore, but the first order of business was stabilizing the child, both physically and emotionally. The six-year-old was wearing a properly fitted life jacket but was exhausted from swimming in the chilly water—Jones estimates the water temperature was in the low 60s—and the distress of watching the sailboat drift away with his father on board, powerless to help.
The boy’s tenacious grip threatened to tip Jones’s sit-inside kayak. If his weight pulled the cockpit rim down just two inches the cold river water would rush in, potentially swamping or even sinking the kayak. It was a precarious situation.
Wear A Life Jacket
- Everyone, even strong swimmers, needs to wear a life jacket at all times when on the water. It is extremely difficult to put a life jacket on once you fall into the water. Even a light wind can blow any paddlecraft away from you, faster than you can swim.
- Always wear a USCG-approved Level 70 or Type III life jacket designed for paddling.
A Day Like Any Other
Jones had been trolling minnows that summer day in 2022, with his point-of-view video rolling as usual. With a little luck he thought he might haul in a couple of walleye and share the footage on his Instagram channel, @djonesutdoors. But his first bite was something far bigger than any walleye. The quarry was so immovable he thought for a moment he’d hooked a snag, but something about its deliberate movement put that idea to rest. Anglers who have since seen the footage agree he was probably on a sturgeon, a massive prehistoric species recently reintroduced to the Lake Superior watershed.
“It would have been a big deal to catch a sturgeon from the kayak, especially for me because I’m a diehard largemouth bass fisherman from Florida,” Jones says. But all thoughts of fishing left his mind when he heard the boy’s scream. Jones had seen him swimming near the sailboat a few minutes before and thought something looked odd. Now he watched as the boat swept rapidly downstream, leaving the child all alone.
Jones stowed his rod and paddled as fast as he could to help. A regular at the gym, he’d recently incorporated rowing into his workouts—a decision he now credits with giving him the stamina to paddle against the current to reach the boy and then bring him about 300 yards to shore.
“I asked if he was strong. When he said yes, I said, ‘Well, I need you to be strong for a few more seconds.’” – D.J. Jones
“I don’t even like rowing,” he admits, “but something told me I should start doing it.”
It was awkward going with the child clinging to the right side of the kayak. Jones first tried paddling backwards, then switched to wide sweeping strokes, making slow but steady progress toward the shore and safety. As he paddled, Jones kept talking to the boy in a calm tone of voice, asking his age and telling him about his own son, who was also six years old.
If the footage Jones captured weren’t so real, it could have been a training video for how to conduct a river rescue. Jones reacted immediately, paddling to the victim as fast as he could without putting his own vessel at risk. But what stands out most in the video is the quiet confidence Jones projected when he arrived. With his Dad-mode fully engaged, the kayak angler was able to calm the child and bring him safely to shore. Residents of a nearby home wrapped the boy in dry towels, while other neighbors went in their motorboat to fetch the boy’s father from the stranded sailboat. Within about an hour they were reunited, the boy physically no worse for wear.
For Jones, the decision to act was pure instinct, but incredibly, other boaters did not see the boy, or worse, chose not to intervene. Two powerboats had passed him earlier without stopping, Jones says. One nearly hit him before swerving away at the last second.
“There were people that saw him,” Jones says. “I can’t speak to why they didn’t help, but had I not been there, it might have been that kid’s obituary in the paper.”
Carry A Waterproof VHF Radio, Use Your Phone Only As A Backup
- A handheld VHF marine band radio allows you to communicate with the Coast Guard and other boat traffic. Use Channel 16 only for hailing and emergencies. The radio should be waterproof, because it is virtually certain to get wet.
- A cell phone, even if in a waterproof case or sealable bag, might not work, so don’t rely on it as the primary means of emergency communication.
Jones posted video of the rescue online to raise awareness of water safety, and the footage quickly went viral. The story appeared on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, and caught the attention of major kayak brands. Old Town and FeelFree both sent him new kayaks in recognition of his actions.
“I didn’t realize how much it would impact people, but I’m glad it’s gotten folks talking about water safety,” Jones says.
Looking back, Jones sees the rescue as a culmination of his personal and professional experiences. As a behavioral health technician, he works with patients experiencing cognitive, mental health, and behavioral challenges—skills that proved invaluable during the rescue. And as a father, protecting and comforting the young boy came naturally.
“I just did what I’d want someone to do if they saw my kid in the water,” he says. “You never know what moment will change your life—or someone else’s.”
