We Require a Aircraft to Go Find Them’: 13-Year-Old’s Urgent Plea to Aid Family Adrift Off Aussie Coast Unveiled

“We got lost out there,” young Austin Appelbee informs the 000 call handler, after swimming four kilometres in treacherous, open ocean and sprinting 2km to summon rescue for his family.

The operator inquires how much time has gone by since he began.

“[It] was ages past … I think they’re kilometres out to sea. I think we need a chopper to locate them,” he states.

Emergency services have made public the distress call made last month after the teen departed from his family floating at sea off the Western Australian coast to find rescuers.

His demeanour remains steady and composed, even as he voices his concern for his kin.

“I don’t know what their status is right now, and I’m really scared,” he informs the person on the line.

“Mum said to seek assistance … We were in massive trouble.”

The Perilous Situation

The family group had been swept 4km out to sea in rough conditions while enjoying water sports.

His mum instructed him to use his craft and find help, so the teenager set off, ditching first his waterlogged vessel then his cumbersome lifejacket to swim the distance.

After getting to the beach – four hours later – he ran for 1.25 miles to retrieve a phone.

“Hello, my name is Austin … I have two siblings, Beau and Grace. Beau is 12 and Grace is eight,” he states the call handler.

“I’m located on the beach right now, and I have to also add – I think I need an ambulance because I think I have hypothermia … I’m really, I’m completely exhausted. I have sunstroke, and I feel like I’m about to faint.”

A Getaway in Peril

The family was on vacation in Quindalup, two hundred kilometres south of Perth. They began their trip from Geographe Bay around 10am on a Friday in late January.

The mother later described that they were playing around when the kids “went out a bit too far”. The conditions worsened, they were separated from their equipment, and started being carried out.

“It kind of all became dangerous very, very quickly,” she said.

The parent also described having to make “one of the hardest decisions” to ask her son to swim ashore.

“I knew he was the strongest and he could do it,” she stated.

The Successful Mission

The teenager recalled being “very puffed out”.

“I just pressed on, I do breaststroke, I do front crawl, I do a floating stroke,” he said.

The distress call was made at about 6pm.

At about 8.30pm, many hours after they first departed, the group were found and brought to safety. They had been carried about fourteen kilometres out to sea.

The recording was made public with the family’s permission.

A police sergeant who oversaw the operation said the family was in an “extremely dire situation”.

“They were in genuine danger, and time was of the essence given how long they had been in the water and with light running out.

“What the boy did was nothing short of extraordinary. His heroic actions in those conditions were astonishing, and his actions were instrumental in bringing about a positive result.”

The commander also praised how the boy clearly relayed key facts.

When asked to describe the boards for the rescue team, the teenager replied: “They were a green and white colour.”

“And I’m not sure if it’s still on, but they had this rod, and there was a fish hooked. Since we hooked one.”