A 13-YEAR-OLD boy swam for four hours to rescue his mum and two younger siblings after they were swept away in rough seas.
The family were holidaying at Quindalup, in south-west western Australia when strong winds pushed their inflatable paddleboards and a kayak offshore from Geographe Bay.
The teenager, named by ABC as Austin Appelbee, first tried to paddle back to shore in his kayak to get help.
Despite the brave teen’s efforts, the vessel took on water in the rough conditions, forcing him to swim 4km to safety.
Speaking to the ABC, Appelbee described “fighting rough seas” while wearing a life jacket.
“After two hours, I removed the life jacket to help me swim more efficiently,” he said.
“I thought I saw something in the water and I was really scared and I was just thinking in my head [that] I was going to make it through.”
He said he tried to focus on the “happiest things” in his life to stay positive.
“I was very puffed out, but I couldn’t feel how tired I was,” he said.
After reaching shore, he ran two kilometres to find a phone and raise the alarm.
“Finally I just made it to shore and I hit the bottom of the beach and I just collapsed and then after that, I had to sprint two kilometres to get to the phone,” he said.
“I called 000 and … I said ‘I need helicopters, I need planes, I need boats, my family’s out at sea.’ I was very calm about it. I think it was just a lot of shock.”
WA police received the emergency report at 6pm on Friday, prompting a multi-agency search and rescue operation involving WA Water Police, local marine rescue volunteers, and the state rescue helicopter.
At around 8:30pm, the teenager’s mother, 47, her 12-year-old son, and eight-year-old daughter were located 14km offshore, clinging to a paddleboard.
A volunteer marine rescue vessel was directed to the family, and all three were successfully rescued.
Naturaliste Volunteer Marine Rescue commander Paul Bresland described the rescue as extraordinary.
“The bravery, strength and courage shown by this family were extraordinary, especially the young fella who swam 4km to raise the alarm,” he said.
“He swam in, he reckons, the first two hours with a life jacket on. And the brave fella thought he’s not going to make it with a life jacket on, so he ditched it, and he swam the next two hours without a life jacket.”
Bresland said the teenager’s detailed description of the colour of the kayaks and paddleboards was invaluable to search efforts.
“Within an hour, we found the kayak,” he said.
He added that the family had been treading water in rough seas for hours before being located.
The mother somehow managed to keep her children with the paddleboard.
“Physically, she just said, ‘I’m struggling, I can’t,’ but she just said they’re looking her in the eye, and she just kept going and kept them together,” Bresland said.
Western Australia Police Inspector James Bradley praised the teenager and emphasised the importance of ocean safety.
“Thankfully, all three people were wearing life jackets, which contributed to their survival,” he said.
“The actions of the 13-year-old boy cannot be praised highly enough; his determination and courage ultimately saved the lives of his mother and siblings.”
The family were assessed by St John WA paramedics before being taken to Busselton Health Campus.
They were later discharged and reportedly visited the marine rescue crews to thank them.
