We’re not crying, you’re crying.
10-year-old Ke’Mari Cooper of Tallahassee, Florida went viral after a video he uploaded showed his catch and release of a 7 pound bass.
According to ABC News, Cooper was fishing with his father, Velt Cooper, at Waverly Pond Park in Florida when he reeled in a 7 pound fish.
Ke’Mari can be seen on the video screaming in excitement as he reels the fish in with his Dad coaching him. “Oh my goodness. Show em what you workin’ with. Yes sir,” Ke’Mari exclaims as he pulls the fish from the water.
Once his Dad weighs the fish, revealing that its the biggest fish young Ke’Mari has caught yet, the tiny fisherman takes off running and screaming in excitement. “7 pounder, this is unreal!” Ke’Mari says.
While the catch itself was something to behold, what Ke’Mari did next tugged on the heartstrings of us all. “My personal best… She’s so big and beautiful. I hope you go back and be better. One day we’re gonna meet back again. I’ll see you later,” he says while gently releasing the fish back into the water.
His father caught the entire thing on camera, uploading it to social media and YouTube. To date, the video has over 15 million views on Twitter alone.
Ke’Mari, who’s been fishing his whole life, told ABC News he couldn’t believe he’d caught such a big fish, saying “you can catch anything as long as you put the effort into it.”
His father said that fishing is a hobby that’s been passed down from generation to generation in their family. “He’s a bright young man, and I just wanted to pass on the genes that my father taught to me. It kept me out of trouble. It kept me humble. Fishing keeps me patient,” Velt Cooper said.
We can’t wait to see what you catch next, Ke’Mari!