Quindalup, Australia — A 13-year-old boy has been hailed as a hero after swimming for nearly four hours through rough waters off the coast of Western Australia to raise the alarm and save his family from drowning.
The boy, identified by local media as Austin Appelbee, undertook the extraordinary swim after his mother and two younger siblings were swept further out to sea during a family outing on Friday afternoon.
Austin had been kayaking and paddle-boarding with his family when conditions suddenly deteriorated. Rising waves overturned their boards and filled their kayak with water, dragging them deeper into the ocean.
“I was really scared,” the teenager told reporters on Tuesday. “I was just thinking I was going to make it through. I kept thinking about my friends at school and my Christian youth group.”
According to Austin, he began swimming towards shore wearing a life jacket but later abandoned it to swim freely as exhaustion set in.
“I was very puffed out, but I couldn’t feel how tired I was,” he said.
To stay focused, the boy said he thought of happy moments and even sang the theme song of Thomas the Tank Engine as he battled the powerful waves, alternating between breaststroke, freestyle, and survival backstroke.
After eventually reaching shore, Austin immediately contacted emergency services and urged them to deploy boats, helicopters, and aircraft, telling responders: “My family is out at sea.”
Marine rescue volunteer Paul Bresland told national broadcaster ABC that the boy’s actions directly led to the successful rescue of his family, who were later found clinging to a paddleboard in open waters off the tourist town of Quindalup.
“He swam the first two hours with a life jacket on, then ditched it and swam another two hours without it,” Bresland said. “I thought, mate, that is incredible.” He described the effort as “superhuman.”
Police Inspector James Bradley also praised the teen’s bravery, saying his actions “cannot be praised highly enough.”
“His determination and courage ultimately saved the lives of his mother and siblings,” Bradley told ABC.
Austin’s mother, identified as Joanne, has also been commended for keeping the family together during hours adrift at sea with her 12-year-old son Beau and eight-year-old daughter Grace.
“It seemed nice and calm to begin with,” she told reporters, recalling the moment conditions worsened.
“One of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make was telling Austin to try and get to shore and get help,” she said. “I knew it could get really serious, really quickly.”
Rescue officials confirmed that all family members were safely recovered, crediting the teenager’s courage and quick thinking for preventing a tragedy.
Credit: Punch
