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A 13-year-old boy swam for hours in rough seas to save his family after they were washed ashore off the coast of Australia, police say, saving his mother and two younger siblings.
Austin Appelbee recalled that he threw off his life jacket to prevent him from swimming before he made the nearly 4-hour-long, 2.5-kilometer (4-mile) trek that saw him fight huge waves until he finally reached the shore and called on lifeguards who saved his mother, Joanne Appelbee, 47, her sister, Beau47, and her sister
“The waves are big and I don’t have a life jacket on … I kept thinking, ‘Keep swimming, keep swimming,'” Austin said Tuesday. “Then I got to the shore and I hit the bottom of the sea and I just fell.”
The family, visiting from Perth, were using kayaks and paddleboards near Quindalup in Western Australia on Friday afternoon when strong winds and rough seas dragged them far from shore. Austin first tried to paddle for help with the inflatable kayak, but gave up when it started taking on water.
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This still from video shows Austin Appelbee, right, standing with his family in Gidgegannup, Australia, on Tuesday Feb. 3, 2026. (ABC via AP)
A search helicopter later found Joanne and two young children clinging to a paddleboard in life jackets around 8:30 p.m. They had traveled about 14 kilometers from shore and spent about 10 hours in the water, police said.
“The actions of a 13-year-old boy cannot be praised enough – his determination and bravery ultimately saved the lives of his mother and siblings,” said Police Inspector James Bradley.
This photo taken from a video shows Austin Appelbee being interviewed in Gidgegannup, Australia, on Tuesday Feb. 3, 2026. (ABC via AP)
Joanne Appelbee said sending her oldest son for help was the hardest decision she ever made.
A MOTHER JUMPS INTO THE WATER TO SAVE A YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER FALLING BETWEEN THE SHIP AND THE DOCK.
“One of the hardest decisions I ever made was to say to Austin: ‘Try to go to the beach and get help,'” he told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
He said the group tried to stay positive as the situation worsened, but fear began as it was late at night and help had not yet arrived.
“We were always positive, we sang and joked and … we took it as a game until the sun started to set and that’s when it got really rough. Very big waves,” he said.
This photo shows Castle Rock Bay, a popular tourist destination, in Geographe Bay near Dunsborough, Western Australia, Australia. (Auscape Group/Universal Images via Getty Images)
When rescuers arrived, all three were shivering, and Beau’s legs were numb from the cold, his mother said.
“I have three children. All three made it. That’s all that mattered,” he said.
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All four family members have been medically examined and do not require hospitalization.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
