A 13-year-old Australian boy is being hailed as a hero after swimming for hours through rough ocean waters to save his mother and two younger siblings, who were swept far offshore during a family outing.
The family had been using paddleboards and a kayak in Western Australia’s Geographe Bay when strong winds and waves pushed them out to sea. After the kayak began taking on water, the teen—Austin Appelbee—set out alone toward shore, ultimately swimming about 4 kilometers (roughly 2.5 miles) over four exhausting hours to raise the alarm.
Rescuers say he first swam with a life jacket, then removed it when it slowed him down. After reaching land, he collapsed from exhaustion but still managed to run to find a phone and call emergency services.
A large multi-agency search soon located his mother and siblings clinging to a single paddleboard nearly 14 kilometers offshore. All were rescued safely and treated for minor effects of cold and exposure.
Authorities praised the boy’s determination and courage, with one rescue commander describing the effort as “superhuman.”
The dramatic rescue is drawing global attention—not only for the physical endurance involved, but for the split-second decision by a mother to send her son for help and the resolve that ultimately brought the entire family home alive.
Comments