A 13-year-old Australian boy has described battling “massive” waves to swim around four hours to shore and raise the alarm after his family were swept out to sea.
Austin Appelbee was with his mother, brother and sister on an inflatable kayak and paddleboards when they got into difficulties on Friday as strong winds picked up off the coast of Western Australia.
Desperate to get help, Joanne Appelbee, 47, asked her son to swim around 4km (2.5 miles) to shore.
Austin told local broadcaster ABC: “I was very puffed out but I couldn’t feel how tired I was. I don’t know, I was more thinking of a lot of things that, you know, was happening in my life.
“I think at one point I was thinking of Thomas the Tank Engine, trying to get the happiest things in my head… not the bad things that’ll distract me… at this time the waves are massive and I have no life jacket on. Anyway, I just keep swimming.”
Austin says he was thinking happy thoughts to get him through his 4km swim. Pic: ABC/AP
Austin said he initially set off for help on an inflatable kayak that was taking on water. He abandoned the kayak and then took off his life jacket because it impeded his swimming.
The family, from the state capital, Perth, found themselves stranded with only lifejackets and no means of communication.
They had to wait 10 hours before rescuers reached the group, which included Austin’s brother, Beau, 12, and his eight-year-old sister, Grace.
“We kept positive, we were singing and we were joking and… we were treating it as a bit of a game until the sun started to go down and that’s when it was getting very choppy. Very big waves,” Joanne said.
Stunning coastline in Dunsborough, neighbouring Quindalup, in Western Australia. Pic: iStock
Scariest moment ever
“Ten hours we were out there, and I think definitely eight and half of them were the most scariest we’ve ever been through ever,” she added.
Austin also said his ordeal was not over when he finished his swim.
“I just keep swimming… and then finally I just made it to shore and I hit the bottom of the beach and I just collapsed and then after that I had to sprint two kilometres to go get to the phone.”
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Joanne (left) says her family, including daughter Grace (right), faced the scariest moment ever. Pic: ABC/AP
Mum: ‘Super proud’
Mum Joanne said she was “super proud” of her son and was just grateful the family survived being stuck so far out to sea.
“To keep going for so long… he’s absolutely amazing. Me and his dad are super proud.
She said: “One of the hardest decisions I ever had to make was to say to Austin, ‘try and get to shore and get some help. This could get really serious really quickly’.
“We made it, we’re alive and that’s the most important thing, and I have all three babies. All three of them made it. That was all that mattered. It was good.”
A search helicopter found Joanne and her two children wearing life jackets and clinging to a paddleboard at 8.30pm (12.30pm UK time), police said. They had drifted 14km (9 miles) from Quindalup, where they had originally entered the water.
“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,” Police Inspector James Bradley said.
The teenager survived his ordeal relatively unscathed, needing only a crutch to help his sore legs bear his weight.
