Teenage Hero Saves Family from Sea in Western Australia
A 13-year-old boy's bravery has been hailed as heroic after he swam for four hours through rough seas to rescue his mother and two younger siblings who were swept out to sea off the coast of Western Australia.
The family, on holiday in Quindalup, about 200km south of Perth, was caught in strong winds that pushed their inflatable paddleboards and kayak offshore from Geographe Bay on Friday afternoon. The teenager, Austin Appelbee, tried to kayak back to shore to get help but the vessel took on water, forcing him to swim 4km back to shore.
Speaking about his ordeal, Appelbee described "fighting rough seas" while attempting to swim wearing a life jacket. After two hours, he removed the life jacket to help him swim more efficiently. He said he tried to focus on happy memories of his family to stay positive and even mentioned that he was too tired to feel it.
Appelbee then ran for help after completing his long swim and eventually collapsed at the beach before sprinting two kilometers to get to a phone. Despite being shaken, Appelbee remained calm when contacting emergency services to report his family's location.
A multi-agency search and rescue operation was launched, including Western Australia police, marine rescue volunteers, and rescue helicopters. The woman, 47, her son, 12, and daughter, 8, were located by the rescue helicopter at 8:30 pm, clinging to a paddleboard. A volunteer marine rescue vessel then took them to safety.
The natural disaster was just one of many dangers faced in Western Australia's ocean, according to police inspector James Bradley. "Thankfully all three people wearing lifejackets contributed to their survival," he said. "The actions of the 13-year-old boy cannot be praised enough; his determination and courage ultimately saved the lives of his mother and siblings."
A 13-year-old boy's bravery has been hailed as heroic after he swam for four hours through rough seas to rescue his mother and two younger siblings who were swept out to sea off the coast of Western Australia.
The family, on holiday in Quindalup, about 200km south of Perth, was caught in strong winds that pushed their inflatable paddleboards and kayak offshore from Geographe Bay on Friday afternoon. The teenager, Austin Appelbee, tried to kayak back to shore to get help but the vessel took on water, forcing him to swim 4km back to shore.
Speaking about his ordeal, Appelbee described "fighting rough seas" while attempting to swim wearing a life jacket. After two hours, he removed the life jacket to help him swim more efficiently. He said he tried to focus on happy memories of his family to stay positive and even mentioned that he was too tired to feel it.
Appelbee then ran for help after completing his long swim and eventually collapsed at the beach before sprinting two kilometers to get to a phone. Despite being shaken, Appelbee remained calm when contacting emergency services to report his family's location.
A multi-agency search and rescue operation was launched, including Western Australia police, marine rescue volunteers, and rescue helicopters. The woman, 47, her son, 12, and daughter, 8, were located by the rescue helicopter at 8:30 pm, clinging to a paddleboard. A volunteer marine rescue vessel then took them to safety.
The natural disaster was just one of many dangers faced in Western Australia's ocean, according to police inspector James Bradley. "Thankfully all three people wearing lifejackets contributed to their survival," he said. "The actions of the 13-year-old boy cannot be praised enough; his determination and courage ultimately saved the lives of his mother and siblings."
4 hours swimmin in rough seas? 
Thats mental! I mean, idk how u do it, but i think its amazing that he didnt give up. He kept positive thinkin bout happy memories of his fam & even did a few laps without a life jacket. 
His mum 2& siblings r so lucky 2 have him as a big bro. U gotta feel good 4 kids like him who save their own families. 
That kid's bravery is truly inspiring! I'm glad the authorities were able to respond quickly and find 'em all safe. It's not just about the physical act of swimmin' 4km, it's also about stayin' positive and focused when u r goin through hell. I think we can all learn from Austin's mental toughness 
. And y'know, it's always good to remember that life jackets do work... sometimes 
!
I'm literally speechless! Austin Appelbee's swim heroics are insane, like what kind of strength does that take?! Four hours in rough seas? That's mental, fam! 
I mean, the fact that he took off his life jacket to help himself swim more efficiently shows how determined he was. He was literally fighting for his family's lives and it's crazy amazing how calm he remained when calling emergency services 
. And can we talk about the rescue crew? Superheroes in real life! 
I'm sending all my love to Austin and his fam, so glad they're safe 
. And he ran like crazy to get help after swimmin back to shore and almost collapsed 
. The ppl r sayin Austin is a hero for sure, and I 100% agree 
. But at the same time, it's a bit wild that he had to deal with all those dangers and still manage to stay calm when reporting back to emergency services 
.
. His actions really are a testament to the bravery of kids these days 
. I'm so glad the whole family made it out safely, and thank you to the rescue team for their quick response 
.