13 year old swims 4km to save family stranded at sea
- Thread starter Trade
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Trade
Well-known Member
A teenager praised for his “superhuman” hero effort after swimming 4km through shark-frequented waters to save his family, who were swept out to sea, has described the moment he collapsed on the beach only to get back up to sprint to a phone.
A multi-agency deployment was needed save an adult and two children last Friday after they were blown out to sea on their inflatable paddleboards and kayaks in waters off Quindalup, along Western Australia’s southern coast.
The family were on a holiday when strong offshore winds pushed them offshore.
Marine authorities were only alerted to the family’s predicament after the 13-year-old boy made his way back to shore.
The child was forced to swim the rest of the way after his kayak began taking on water.
The waters are known for their frequent shark sightings, with WA’s SharkSmart website tracking multiple sightings along the south west coast in the past week alone.
“I just said ‘all right, not today, not today, not today’,” the boy told Sky News.
“I do breastroke, I do freestyle, I do survival backstroke.
“I hit the bottom of the beach and I just collapsed, and then after that I had to sprint 2km to go get to the phone.”
How a 13-year-old’s ‘superhuman’ swim turned a family holiday into a rescue epic
A multi-agency deployment was needed save an adult and two children last Friday after they were blown out to sea on their inflatable paddleboards and kayaks in waters off Quindalup, along Western Australia’s southern coast.
The family were on a holiday when strong offshore winds pushed them offshore.
Marine authorities were only alerted to the family’s predicament after the 13-year-old boy made his way back to shore.
The child was forced to swim the rest of the way after his kayak began taking on water.
The waters are known for their frequent shark sightings, with WA’s SharkSmart website tracking multiple sightings along the south west coast in the past week alone.
“I just said ‘all right, not today, not today, not today’,” the boy told Sky News.
“I do breastroke, I do freestyle, I do survival backstroke.
“I hit the bottom of the beach and I just collapsed, and then after that I had to sprint 2km to go get to the phone.”
How a 13-year-old’s ‘superhuman’ swim turned a family holiday into a rescue epic
David777
Well-known Member
- Location
- Silicon Valley
That is about 2.5 miles in 75F degree western Australia water temperatures. He removed his life jacket, apparently because it interfered with making progress moving towards shore, so free swam most of the distance to shore. Although I have swam at times all my life, my thin body does not float well, so have always been afraid of life and death circumstances where I might need to swim long distances. Something plenty of our ancestors met their end trying to endure. The visceral thought of drowning under water, given occasional experiences as a kid swimming underwater as far as I could hold my breath while being aware of the impossibility of continuing once a limit has been reached, has always been a rather frightening horrible way I've imagined to possibly die.
josephine
Member
- Location
- Maybe it’s San Jose
Yesterday I saw a report about this kid on BBC, and I have to say, he’s really brave. He saved his family with his courageous actions, and I’ve seen photos of him with his family, he seems like a really shy kid.
jujube
SF VIP
Wowza! I'd love to have that kid in my corner! Brave young man.
Warrigal
SF VIP
- Location
- Sydney, Australia
I am over awed by the boy's tenacity and his love for his family. His mother also deserves praise for her part in keeping her other children alive until rescued. Inside she must have been dreading losing all of her children and I suspect that is what gave her the strength to stay alive. It was for love of them that she didn't give up and simply go under the waves.
Sunkist
Senior Member
The recording of the Triple Zero call has been released.
Boy's Triple Zero call to save family swept out to sea released
Audio of Austin Appelbee's incredible Triple Zero call after a marathon swim to save his family.
Link copied
The critical Triple Zero (000) call made by 13-year-old Austin Appelbee to alert authorities after he and his family were swept out to sea south of Perth has been released.
"Mum said go get help, because she said we were in massive trouble," the teenager tells the operator in the call.
In a calm voice, Austin explains to the operator his family are "kilometres out to sea" and his mother has asked him to fetch help.
Austin Appelbee sat down for an interview about his experience days later. (ABC News: Briana Shepherd)
"We got took out to sea and we got lost out there and now … I don't know what time it was but it was a long time ago," he says in the recording released by police on Wednesday.
"We couldn't get back to shore and Mum told me to go back to get help.
Austin (right) with his brother Beau, mother Joanne and sister Grace (left to right). (ABC News: Briana Shepherd)
The teenager, who had just emerged from the ocean at Geographe Bay in WA's South West, after a four-hour swim, told the operator he feared for his family's safety.
"So mum is out there with kids as well, is that right?" the operator asks.
"Yeah and I don't know what their condition is right now and I'm really scared," Austin tells her.
13-year-old Austin Appelbee recounts his heroic four-hour swim through rough seas to help his family.
The family were swept out to sea last month after renting paddleboards and a kayak from their resort in Broadwater near Busselton, about 250km south of Perth.
When no-one came to rescue them, Austin's mother Joanne Appelbee asked her eldest son to swim back to shore to get help while she tried to calm her other children, 12-year-old Beau and 8-year-old Grace, who were clinging to paddleboards.
Kayaks line the shore of Quindalup beach, where Austin's family set off from. (ABC News: Bridget McArthur)
The family was eventually rescued after an estimated 10 hours in the ocean, after Austin ran 2km from the beach where he came ashore to find his mother's phone so he could make the Triple Zero call.
How Austin Appelbee saved his family in a miracle ocean rescue.
The teenager's voice remains steady in the call, as he describes the kayak he abandoned in the ocean before swimming to shore, and urges the operator to send help.
He then goes on to describe the physical toll his epic swim has taken.
"I think I need an ambulance because I think I have hypothermia," he said.
"I'm extremely tired. I have heat stroke and I feel like about to pass out, I'm very dizzy."
All four family members were treated overnight at Busselton Health Campus and released the following day, with Austin needing a wheelchair and crutches to help walk for several days afterwards because of the strain on his legs.
A map showing roughly where the family was found in Geographe Bay, and the wind speed. (ABC News)
Local police have praised the Austin's ability to keep a cool head after his marathon swim.
Dunsborough Police Acting Sergeant Andrew McDonnell said the teenager's ability to clearly provide key information was critical to the rescue of his family.
"After his 4-kilometre swim across the bay, it struck us all how articulate, calm and collected he was," Acting Sergeant McDonnell said.
"It was incredible to listen to."
Boy's Triple Zero call to save family swept out to sea released
Austin Appelbee's Triple Zero call to save family swept out to sea at Geographe Bay released
19h ago19 hours agoAudio of Austin Appelbee's incredible Triple Zero call after a marathon swim to save his family.
Link copied
The critical Triple Zero (000) call made by 13-year-old Austin Appelbee to alert authorities after he and his family were swept out to sea south of Perth has been released.
"Mum said go get help, because she said we were in massive trouble," the teenager tells the operator in the call.
In a calm voice, Austin explains to the operator his family are "kilometres out to sea" and his mother has asked him to fetch help.
Austin Appelbee sat down for an interview about his experience days later. (ABC News: Briana Shepherd)
"We got took out to sea and we got lost out there and now … I don't know what time it was but it was a long time ago," he says in the recording released by police on Wednesday.
"We couldn't get back to shore and Mum told me to go back to get help.
Austin (right) with his brother Beau, mother Joanne and sister Grace (left to right). (ABC News: Briana Shepherd)
The teenager, who had just emerged from the ocean at Geographe Bay in WA's South West, after a four-hour swim, told the operator he feared for his family's safety.
"So mum is out there with kids as well, is that right?" the operator asks.
"Yeah and I don't know what their condition is right now and I'm really scared," Austin tells her.
13-year-old Austin Appelbee recounts his heroic four-hour swim through rough seas to help his family.
The family were swept out to sea last month after renting paddleboards and a kayak from their resort in Broadwater near Busselton, about 250km south of Perth.
When no-one came to rescue them, Austin's mother Joanne Appelbee asked her eldest son to swim back to shore to get help while she tried to calm her other children, 12-year-old Beau and 8-year-old Grace, who were clinging to paddleboards.
Kayaks line the shore of Quindalup beach, where Austin's family set off from. (ABC News: Bridget McArthur)
International headlines
Austin's remarkable swim had made news around the world, with rescuers praising his "superhuman" efforts to save his family.The family was eventually rescued after an estimated 10 hours in the ocean, after Austin ran 2km from the beach where he came ashore to find his mother's phone so he could make the Triple Zero call.
How Austin Appelbee saved his family in a miracle ocean rescue.
The teenager's voice remains steady in the call, as he describes the kayak he abandoned in the ocean before swimming to shore, and urges the operator to send help.
He then goes on to describe the physical toll his epic swim has taken.
"I think I need an ambulance because I think I have hypothermia," he said.
"I'm extremely tired. I have heat stroke and I feel like about to pass out, I'm very dizzy."
All four family members were treated overnight at Busselton Health Campus and released the following day, with Austin needing a wheelchair and crutches to help walk for several days afterwards because of the strain on his legs.
A map showing roughly where the family was found in Geographe Bay, and the wind speed. (ABC News)
Local police have praised the Austin's ability to keep a cool head after his marathon swim.
Dunsborough Police Acting Sergeant Andrew McDonnell said the teenager's ability to clearly provide key information was critical to the rescue of his family.
"After his 4-kilometre swim across the bay, it struck us all how articulate, calm and collected he was," Acting Sergeant McDonnell said.
"It was incredible to listen to."