'Moment I will never forget': How a 13-year-old ‘superhuman’ boy swam 4km alone to save his family at sea

A 13-year-old Australian boy swam nearly four kilometres through open water to get help after his family was swept out to sea off Western Australia’s coast, the BBC has reported.

Austin Appelbee reached shore around 18:00 local time (10:00 GMT) after hours in the ocean and used his mother’s bag to phone emergency services. Police said the call sparked a large-scale search that led to the rescue of his mother and siblings.

During the ordeal, Austin did not know if his mother, Joanne, 47, brother Beau, 12, and sister Grace, eight, were still alive when he finally reached land four hours after leaving them in the water clinging to two paddleboards.

“It was getting dangerous now, I had been out for a couple of hours,” Austin told the BBC about the conditions he faced in open water.

The family had been spending time with paddleboards and a kayak in shallow water off Quindalup beach when the wind picked up and they were carried further from shore.

“The wind picked up and it went from there,” Joanne said. “We lost oars, and we drifted out further…. It kind of all went wrong very, very quickly.”

At one point, she said she believed Austin might have made it back sooner than he actually did.

“I had assumed Austin hadn’t made it a lot quicker than he had,” she said. “As the day progressed, no vessels and nothing coming to save us.

“If he hasn’t made it, what have I done, have I made the wrong decision, and is anyone going to come and save my other two?”

When Austin reached shore after swimming approximately four kilometres, at times without his lifejacket because it was hindering his progress, he was “really scared” but kept going with “happy thoughts” and Christian songs in his mind.

“I was thinking about mum, Beau and Grace. I was also thinking about my friends and my girlfriend — I have a really good bunch of friends,” he said.

After making the emergency call, Austin passed out and was taken to hospital, where he called his father, “bawling his eyes out,” still not knowing whether his family had survived.

He then received a call confirming they had been found, which he described as: “It was a moment I will never forget.”

While drifting offshore, Joanne and the children faced worsening conditions as the light faded and temperatures dropped. Even when rescue crews approached, she described the situation as chaotic.

“It was an absolute nightmare,” she said. All four family members were eventually located after drifting nearly 14 kilometres offshore and were treated in hospital for minor injuries. Joanne said the outcome was: “an absolute perfect ending to have them all well and happy and sore but no injuries.”

Although widespread praise has followed Austin’s actions, he has resisted the label of a hero. “I didn’t think I was a hero, I just did what I did,” he told the BBC, calling the experience “a tough battle.”

Rescuers echoed the severity of his effort. Naturaliste Volunteer Marine Rescue Group commander Paul Bresland described his actions as “superhuman.” Insp James Bradley said: “His determination and courage ultimately saved the lives of his mother and siblings.”