On January 30, a 13-year-old boy in Western Australia demonstrated remarkable resilience by swimming 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) ashore alone to seek help, ultimately saving his mother and two younger siblings who had been swept away by the waves. Rescue personnel and police praised his courage and determination.
The incident took place at noon on January 30. A family of four from Perth, the capital of Western Australia, consisting of 13-year-old Austin Appelbee, his 47-year-old mother Joanne Appelbee, 12-year-old brother Beau, and 8-year-old sister Grace, were on vacation. They had rented a kayak and paddleboard from their hotel for a sea outing, but encountered strong winds and rough sea conditions, leading them to drift further and further from the shore, all facing danger together.
Initially, Austin attempted to paddle the inflatable kayak to shore for help, but the kayak started taking on water, prompting him to abandon it and swim instead. He even took off his life jacket later on because it was hindering his swimming.
During an interview on Tuesday, Austin mentioned that he swam for about four hours in the turbulent sea, constantly focusing on positive thoughts. He said, “The waves were big, and I wasn’t wearing a life jacket… I just kept thinking, ‘Keep swimming, keep swimming.'”
Austin finally reached the shore at 6 p.m. and collapsed upon touching the beach bottom. He told the BBC on Tuesday, “I don’t consider myself a hero, I just did what I had to do.”
According to Paul Bresland, the commander of Naturaliste Marine Rescue, for the first two hours, Austin swam with a life jacket, and for the next two hours, he persevered without any assistance.
Bresland stated, “This brave young man felt that the life jacket was not helping him reach the shore, so he discarded it and continued swimming for the remaining two hours.” He described Austin’s performance as “superhumanly strong.”
Joanne, the mother, mentioned to reporters on Tuesday that allowing her eldest son to swim ashore alone for help was one of the most difficult decisions she had ever made in her life. She said, “I couldn’t leave three kids to seek help, so I had to tell Austin, ‘Try to swim to the shore and find someone to help. The situation could become very serious very quickly.'”
She had faith that Austin could make it ashore successfully, but as the sun set and no help arrived, she felt anxious.
Recalling their time in the water, Joanne shared that they tried to maintain a positive atmosphere by singing and joking around as a family, turning their ordeal into a game. She said, “Until the sun began to set, the sea became very rough, with big waves.”
Rescue commander Bresland mentioned to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that Joanne treaded water for hours in the waves and managed to keep the two children holding onto the paddleboard.
He stated, “Physically, she felt that she couldn’t go on, but when the children looked into her eyes, she kept making efforts to continue and gather the children together.”
The search and rescue helicopter spotted Joanne and the two children in the water at 8:30 p.m. They were all wearing life jackets and grasping onto a paddleboard. By then, they had drifted 14 kilometers (about 9 miles) from the Quindalup area and spent a grueling 10 hours in the water.
Upon being rescued, all three were shaking from the cold, and Beau had lost sensation in his legs due to the low temperature. Joanne expressed, “I have three darlings, and all three of them survived; that’s everything.”
After being rescued, all four family members underwent medical evaluations, with no one requiring hospitalization.
Inspector James Bradley stated in a release, “No amount of praise is enough for the actions of this 13-year-old boy—his determination and courage ultimately saved the lives of his mother and siblings.”
The Naturaliste Volunteer Marine Rescue Group praised the family, particularly Austin, in a Facebook post, referring to their extraordinary bravery, strength, and courage, especially highlighting the boy who swam 4 kilometers to seek help and initiate all rescue efforts.
The group wrote, “The bravery, strength, and courage displayed by this family are exceptional, especially the young man who swam 4 kilometers to seek help..”