Teen's Heroic 4km Swim Saves Mother and Siblings After Kayak Sinks Off WA Coast
A courageous 13-year-old boy swam more than four kilometres through dangerous ocean conditions to save his mother and two younger siblings after their kayaking trip turned into a fight for survival off the coast of Western Australia.
Calm Day Turns to Disaster
The Appelbee family had set out on the water near Quindalup, approximately 250 kilometres south of Perth in WA's South West region, on what began as a pleasant Friday with calm and favourable conditions. They were equipped with two paddleboards and a kayak for their aquatic adventure.
However, the situation deteriorated rapidly when weather conditions worsened, waves grew stronger, and they lost both oars. Their kayak began taking on water and eventually started to sink, leaving them in a perilous position as they were dragged further from shore.
"One of the Hardest Decisions"
Faced with the escalating emergency, mother Joanne Appelbee made what she described as "one of the hardest decisions I ever had to make" - sending her eldest son Austin, 13, to swim to shore for help.
"This could get really serious really quickly," she recalled telling her son before he embarked on his daunting mission. "I knew he was the strongest and he could do it. I would have never went because I wouldn't have left the kids at sea, so I had to send somebody."
Four-Hour Swim Through Treacherous Conditions
Austin paddled a short distance before abandoning the sinking kayak and beginning his marathon swim to shore. Despite being "really scared," the determined teenager pushed through exhaustion and fear.
"I was just thinking in my head I was going to make it through," Austin said of his gruelling journey through increasingly large waves that lasted over four hours.
Upon finally reaching land, the exhausted teen ran an additional two kilometres to alert authorities to his family's desperate situation.
Eight-Hour Ordeal at Sea
While Austin battled his way to shore, his mother and younger siblings - 12-year-old Beau and eight-year-old Grace - faced their own harrowing ordeal. Joanne had secured the children on one paddleboard to equalise their weight and tied them all together for safety.
Despite their efforts to paddle toward shore, wind and waves continued pushing them further out to sea. As daylight faded, conditions became increasingly treacherous.
"The exhaustion started to peep up on both me and Beau," Joanne recounted. "As the sun went down, I thought something's gone terribly wrong here and my fear was that Austin didn't make it."
The family maintained their spirits initially, even joking as waves knocked them into the water, but as darkness fell, reality set in.
"There were no boats. There was nothing that we can get hold of," Joanne said. "And then as it got darker, I thought, there's no one coming to save us. This is us. We were cold. We were shaking, Beau said he couldn't feel his legs. It was pretty terrifying for a while."
Dramatic Rescue and Emotional Reunion
A massive multi-agency search operation was launched after Austin raised the alarm. More than eight hours after their ordeal began, a rescue helicopter spotted the family clinging to a paddleboard approximately 14 kilometres from shore.
All three were safely retrieved from the water just before 8:30pm and brought to shore, where they were reunited with Austin.
The relieved teenager admitted he had feared the worst during his swim. "I thought they were dead," Austin confessed. "I had a lot of guilt in my heart because I thought 'oh man, I wasn't fast enough'."
Praise for Courage and Safety Measures
South West District Office inspector James Bradley praised both Austin's heroic actions and the family's safety precautions.
"This incident is a reminder that ocean conditions can change rapidly," Inspector Bradley said. "Thankfully, all three people were wearing lifejackets, which contributed to their survival. The actions of the 13-year-old boy cannot be praised highly enough - his determination and courage ultimately saved the lives of his mother and siblings."
Joanne expressed immense pride in her son's extraordinary efforts. "There's no bigger word to describe Austin other than proud," she said. "I'm speechless at his efforts but at the same time, I knew he could do it. He's always had it in him."
The family plans to meet with their rescuers this week to personally thank them for their role in the dramatic rescue operation.
