A 13-year-old Australian boy made a heroic swim of four kilometers in rough seas to reach shore and get help for his mother and siblings, who were swept out to sea while kayaking and paddleboarding.
The family was caught off guard on Friday afternoon when strong winds carried them away from the coast near Quindalup, Western Australia. As night began to fall, the teen made a courageous decision to swim back to shore in search of assistance. His kayak took on water, leaving him to face the perilous journey alone.
Despite the challenging conditions, Austin Appelbee persevered, utilizing various swimming techniques before finally reaching land and alerting authorities at 6 p.m. local time.
A swift rescue operation ensued, with a helicopter locating his family clinging to a paddleboard in distress. The marine rescue vessel safely retrieved them from the water, and they were eventually returned to shore.
Austin credited his determination to save his family as his driving force during this ordeal. "I just said 'alright. Not today, not today, not today,'" he recalled to CNN affiliate 9News, before breaking down in tears.
"It was a superhuman effort," Marine Rescue commander Paul Bresland stated. Austin swam for over two hours without a life jacket and navigated through massive waves, employing various swimming techniques to stay afloat.
Austin's mother, Joanne Appelbee, expressed pride and admiration for her son's bravery, saying he had been involved in water activities since childhood. "I'm speechless at his efforts... but at the same time, I knew he could do it."
The incident serves as a poignant reminder of the power of human resilience during life-threatening situations.
The family was caught off guard on Friday afternoon when strong winds carried them away from the coast near Quindalup, Western Australia. As night began to fall, the teen made a courageous decision to swim back to shore in search of assistance. His kayak took on water, leaving him to face the perilous journey alone.
Despite the challenging conditions, Austin Appelbee persevered, utilizing various swimming techniques before finally reaching land and alerting authorities at 6 p.m. local time.
A swift rescue operation ensued, with a helicopter locating his family clinging to a paddleboard in distress. The marine rescue vessel safely retrieved them from the water, and they were eventually returned to shore.
Austin credited his determination to save his family as his driving force during this ordeal. "I just said 'alright. Not today, not today, not today,'" he recalled to CNN affiliate 9News, before breaking down in tears.
"It was a superhuman effort," Marine Rescue commander Paul Bresland stated. Austin swam for over two hours without a life jacket and navigated through massive waves, employing various swimming techniques to stay afloat.
Austin's mother, Joanne Appelbee, expressed pride and admiration for her son's bravery, saying he had been involved in water activities since childhood. "I'm speechless at his efforts... but at the same time, I knew he could do it."
The incident serves as a poignant reminder of the power of human resilience during life-threatening situations.
he swam for like 2 hrs in rough seas w/o a life jacket 
and still managed to save his mom & sis 
it just goes 2 show how determined & brave some ppl r 
i mean, u cant script this kinda heroism or anything 
the fact that he was thinkin bout his fam & their safety 1st is really admirable 
and the authorities did an amazing job rescuin them too 
. And to think he was only trying to save his family 
. My heart goes out to them for going kayaking/paddleboarding in those conditions, but Austin's bravery is the real MVP 
. The fact that he didn't even need a life jacket says it all - the kid's got skills 
! I'm definitely giving him some serious props 
.
!! I mean, can you even imagine being 13 and facing those crazy seas alone?! He's got some serious guts and determination 
. I'm not surprised he broke down in tears after the rescue tho 
, all that adrenaline and stress would get anyone emotional 
. Anyway, Austin's definitely got a new nickname - Aussie Hero Appelbee 
His mom is so proud of him too, and I think she should be - it's not every day you see someone as brave as Austin Appelbee doing something that heroic 
.
. It's always better to err on the side of caution, especially with kids involved. Anyway, Austin gets a huge round of applause from me 
for his incredible bravery and selflessness 
!
, I mean what would you do in a situation like that? I'm shook by how brave and determined he was to save his fam 
love this story!!
his mom and siblings were so lucky he saved them like for real 
. I mean, it's not just about swimming or saving the day; it's about love and doing whatever it takes to keep your family safe. So yeah, Austin Appelbee all the way 
that's some next level bravery right there 
#AustinAppelbeeHero #ResilienceWins #SwimmingForLife
And he did it without a life jacket?! 
That's just... wow.