‘We Need a Aircraft to Search For Them’: 13-Year-Old’s Urgent Plea to Save Family Adrift Off Australian Coast Revealed

“We ended up adrift out there,” young Austin Appelbee tells the emergency operator, following a swim 4km in rough, the sea and sprinting 2km to summon rescue for his kin.

The operator questions how long has passed since he began.

“[It] was a very long time ago … I think they’re far offshore. I think we need a helicopter to go find them,” he states.

Police have released the emergency phone call made in recent weeks after the boy departed from his relatives floating at sea off the Western Australian coast to seek assistance.

His demeanour remains clear and calm, even as he details his fear for his family.

“I have no idea about what their condition is right now, and I’m terrified,” he confides in the person on the line.

“Mum said to find rescue … We were in serious danger.”

The Dangerous Incident

The mother and children had been carried four kilometres out to sea in stormy conditions while kayaking and paddleboarding.

His parent instructed him to take his kayak and find help, so the teenager began, discarding first his failing kayak then his cumbersome lifejacket to swim the distance.

After reaching land – four hours later – he sprinted for 2km to access a mobile phone.

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

“I’m located on the beach right now, and I have to also mention – I think I need an medical help because I think I have exposure … I’m really, I’m completely exhausted. I have heatstroke, and I feel like I’m about to pass out.”

A Holiday Turned Crisis

The holidaymakers was on holiday in Quindalup, 125 miles south of Perth. They departed from Geographe Bay some time after 10am on a Friday in late January.

The woman later recalled that they were enjoying themselves when the young ones “went out a bit too far”. The wind picked up, they lost their oars, and started being carried out.

“It sort of all turned bad very, very quickly,” she said.

The mother also referenced having to make “a terribly difficult call” to send her son to make the swim for help.

“I knew he was the most capable and he had the ability to succeed,” she stated.

The Rescue Effort

The boy recalled being “completely out of breath”.

“I just pressed on, I do breaststroke, I do freestyle, I do elementary backstroke,” he said.

The emergency call was made at around 6pm.

At roughly 8.30pm, a full ten hours after they first departed, the stranded individuals were located and saved. They had been carried about 9 miles out to sea.

The recording was shared with the parents' permission.

A police sergeant who coordinated the search and rescue effort said the family was in an “incredibly perilous state”.

“They were in serious jeopardy, and time was extremely pressing given how long they had been in the water and with night approaching.

“What the teenager did was truly remarkable. His bravery and courage in those conditions were exceptional, and his actions were instrumental in bringing about a rescue.”

The sergeant also highlighted how the boy effectively communicated critical information.

When asked to describe the boards for the search crew, the youth responded: “They were coloured green and white.”

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