WA Premier and Police Minister Hail Teen's Heroic Ocean Rescue Effort
The schoolboy at the centre of a remarkable ocean rescue in Western Australia has received a glowing letter from the state's Premier, while the Police Minister has lauded the teen's "remarkable bravery" and expressed interest in recruiting him for the force in the future.
Four-Hour Swim and Two-Kilometre Sprint to Alert Authorities
Austin Appelbee, aged 13, has made international headlines for what rescuers described as a "superhuman" effort. He undertook a gruelling four-hour swim through rough surf, followed by a two-kilometre sprint to alert police that his mother and two younger siblings were stranded off the coast of Western Australia's South West region.
His heroic actions sparked a major search operation, which successfully located his family floating in the ocean approximately 14 kilometres from land around 8:30 PM on Friday. They had been in the water since just after 11:00 AM that morning.
Premier's Admiration and Police Minister's Praise
WA Premier Roger Cook publicly expressed his admiration for Austin's courage. "Can I just once again say how proud we are of Austin ... a young man who undertook the bravest of acts to save his family," Premier Cook stated on Thursday.
"I wrote to him yesterday to express my admiration for his bravery and my thanks for his love for his family to have swum for four hours to get help for them," he added. "This is an incredible young man and ... I think we should all express our pride and admiration for his bravery."
WA Police Minister Reece Whitby echoed these sentiments, highlighting Austin's determination. "Austin, remarkable bravery, determination, commitment for such a young man," Minister Whitby said. He extended a future invitation on behalf of himself and Police Commissioner Col Blanch: "So the message for Austin from me and the Commissioner, in a couple of years you'll be invited to join the academy. We could do with good young men like you."
The Harrowing Journey to Get Help
Austin had left his mother Joanne and younger siblings Beau, 12, and Grace, 8, to seek assistance after they struggled against challenging conditions to return to the beach. He initially set off with a kayak but was forced to abandon it when it took on water. Later, he discarded his life jacket because it was impeding his swimming ability.
Recounting the ordeal, Austin described being "very puffed out" and battered by "massive waves." He feared he might have been too late when contacting Triple-0, urgently stating, "I said, 'I need helicopters, I need planes, I need boats. My family's out at sea'."
His mammoth swim, which covered four kilometres, enabled search crews to locate his family. They were found tired but safely clinging to a paddleboard off Quindalup, approximately two and a half hours south of Perth.
Irony of Recent Swimming Course Outcome
In a poignant twist, Austin had only recently not passed VacSwim, a state-run swimming course. However, Royal Life Saving WA chief executive Peter Leaversuch emphasised that the teen clearly demonstrated capability.
"As instructors and educators, we hope what was communicated to him was that he didn't fail, it was more that he hadn't performed all the elements just yet and he needed to continue practising," Leaversuch explained. "For us, it's a journey. I accept the irony of it. Clearly he can do it and I'll be the first to hand him the bronze medallion. His heroic act outstrips any performance test."
Safety Reviews and Investigations Underway
Following the incident, WorkSafe has revealed it is making preliminary inquiries with the hotel where the family sourced the watersport recreation gear—two paddleboards and a kayak—before they encountered trouble. The State Government will request a briefing from WorkSafe on the matter.
Club Wyndham in Dunsborough, the resort involved, confirmed it has launched its own safety review. "Our guests are free to use resort equipment on a complimentary basis until late in the day," a statement read. "Our staff had no reason to be alarmed. Guests are aware that the beach is outside the resort grounds, is unpatrolled, and that there is no direct view of the beach from the resort. However as a matter of course the resort is conducting a safety review to minimise the risk of any similar incident occurring in the future."
The incident has also been formally referred to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority for further assessment.
