Near Perth, Western Australia, a teenage boy aged 13 exhibited extraordinary endurance and determination by swimming about 4 kilometers in cold, rough ocean waters over approximately four hours to seek help after his mother and younger siblings were swept away by strong winds and waves while on the water.
The family, which included the mother Joanne Appelbee, 47, her 13-year-old son Austin, 12-year-old Beau, and 8-year-old Grace, had embarked on a morning excursion involving kayaks and paddleboards. However, deteriorating sea conditions around noon created hazardous circumstances as the rough ocean currents and wind began dragging them further from the shore.
Austin initially set off in an inflatable kayak while wearing a life jacket but was forced to abandon it due to overwhelming water intake and the vessel's instability amidst rough conditions. He then discarded the life jacket to facilitate swimming and focused on maintaining positive thoughts amid sizable waves. Austin recalled, "The waves are massive and I have no life jacket on... I just kept thinking ‘just keep swimming, just keep swimming.’ Finally, when I reached shore I collapsed from exhaustion."
After reaching land around 6 p.m., Austin raised the alarm. Approximately two and a half hours later, a rescue helicopter located his mother and siblings, who had spent close to 10 hours in the water and drifted approximately 14 kilometers from their starting location near Quindalup.
Police Inspector James Bradley commended Austin's actions, noting that his courage and resolve were critical in saving the lives of his family members. Joanne Appelbee expressed the difficulty of deciding to send her eldest son for help but recognized it was necessary to avoid leaving her other children stranded in perilous conditions. She said, "One of the hardest decisions I ever had to make was to say to Austin: ‘Try and get to shore and get some help. This could get really serious really quickly.’"
Joanne described their time in the ocean, explaining they initially remained positive, singing and joking to maintain morale, but conditions worsened as the sun set and the waves became more turbulent. She recounted that by the time of rescue, all three family members were shivering greatly, with Beau losing sensation in his legs due to the cold.
Reflecting on the ordeal, Joanne stressed that having all three children safely rescued was the most important outcome: "I have three babies. All three made it. That was all that mattered."