Updated Feb. 3, 2026 — A 13-year-old boy from Perth is being credited with saving his mother and two younger siblings after the family was swept out to sea off Western Australia.
Austin Appelbee swam about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) to shore to raise the alarm after he, his mother Joanne Appelbee, 47, his brother Beau, 12, and his sister Grace, 8, were pulled away from shore during a midday outing, police said. The family had hired kayaks and paddleboards from their hotel around noon when strong wind and rough conditions began dragging them out.
Austin said he first tried to reach help on an inflatable kayak, but it began taking on water. He then removed his life jacket because it slowed him and continued swimming. Naturaliste Marine Rescue commander Paul Bresland described Austin’s efforts as ‘superhuman,’ saying the boy swam for hours through very rough seas. Austin recalled keeping his mind on happy things — ‘I think, at one point, I was thinking of Thomas the Tank Engine’ — and pushing himself with thoughts of ‘just keep swimming, just keep swimming.’ He reached shore after roughly four hours and raised the alarm at about 6 p.m.
A search helicopter later located Joanne and the two younger children clinging to a paddleboard and wearing life jackets at about 8:30 p.m. They had drifted approximately 14 kilometers (9 miles) from Quindalup and spent up to 10 hours in the water. By the time rescuers reached them, all three were shivering and Beau had lost sensation in his legs from the cold.
‘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,’’ ‘ Joanne told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. She said she stayed with the children and kept them together by singing and joking until help arrived. Police Inspector James Bradley praised Austin’s ‘determination and courage’ as the factor that ultimately saved his mother and siblings.
All four family members were medically assessed and none required hospital admission. Naturaliste Volunteer Marine Rescue Group posted on social media to praise the family, especially Austin: ‘The bravery, strength, and courage shown by this family were extraordinary, especially the young fella who swam 4km to raise the alarm and set everything into motion.’ Austin, meanwhile, told the BBC he did not consider himself a hero: ‘I just did what I did.’