A young boy has been hailed as a hero after swimming for four hours and then running 2km to get help for his family after they were swept out to sea off Western Australia.
Austin Appelbee, 13, his mother, 47, brother, 12, and sister, 8, were paddleboarding and kayaking off the coast of Quindalup, in Geographe Bay, on Friday when they were pushed away from the coast.
Despite rough conditions and fading light, Austin began kayaking back to alert authorities, and when his kayak took on water swam another 4km to the beach. A rescue helicopter then found the missing trio clinging to a paddleboard about 14km offshore after spending nearly 10 hours in the water.
Austin told 9News on Tuesday he kept thinking about his family while pushing himself to keep going.
“I just said ‘not today, not today, not today’,” he said.
“I did breaststroke, I did freestyle, I did 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.”
His mother Joanne said: “I’m speechless at his efforts, but at the same time, I knew he could do it.”
She and Austin’s younger siblings were taken to Busselton Health Campus for medical assessment after being rescued and were discharged over the weekend.
Naturaliste Marine Rescue commander Paul Bresland also credited Joanne’s heroism for managing to keep the other two children on the paddleboard.
“Physically, she just said, ‘I’m struggling, I can’t,’ but she just said they’re looking her in the eye, and she just kept going and kept them together,” Mr Bresland told ABC News.
“She’s an absolute hero as well. To keep those two children together and not give up is absolutely incredible.”
Police Inspector James Bradley, South West District Office, said: “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.”
Header image: Left, Austin during the interview. Right, with his mother and siblings (9News).
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