We Require a Chopper to Locate Them’: 13-Year-Old’s Emergency Call to Rescue Family Lost Off Aussie Coast Disclosed

“We got lost out there,” young Austin Appelbee tells the 000 call handler, following a swim 2.5 miles in treacherous, open water and jogging 2km to summon rescue for his kin.

The call taker asks how long has gone by since he set off.

“[It] was quite some time back … I think they’re kilometres out to sea. I think we require a chopper to locate them,” he states.

Police have made public the recorded plea made last month after the youth left his relatives adrift at sea off the Western Australian coast to find rescuers.

His voice remains steady and composed, even as he voices his fear for his family members.

“I am unsure of what their status is right now, and I’m extremely frightened,” he informs the dispatcher.

“Mum said to find rescue … We were in grave peril.”

The Perilous Situation

The mother and children had been swept 2.5 miles out to sea in treacherous conditions while enjoying water sports.

His mother instructed him to use his craft and get assistance, so the boy set off, discarding first his waterlogged vessel then his unwieldy PFD to cover the remaining stretch.

After getting to the beach – after an extensive period – he raced for 1.25 miles to retrieve a mobile phone.

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

“I’m positioned on the beach right now, and I have to also add – I think I need an medical help because I think I have exposure … I’m really, I’m completely exhausted. I have sunstroke, and I feel like I’m about to faint.”

A Vacation Gone Wrong

The holidaymakers was on vacation in Quindalup, two hundred kilometres south of Perth. They departed from Geographe Bay around 10am on a Friday in late January.

The mother later explained that they were playing around when the kids “drifted further than intended”. The breeze strengthened, they were separated from their equipment, and started drifting.

“It pretty much all turned bad very, very quickly,” she noted.

The mother also spoke of having to make “one of the hardest decisions” to instruct her son to make the swim for help.

“I knew he was the most capable and he could do it,” she commented.

The Successful Mission

The youth recalled being “extremely winded”.

“I just continued swimming, I do the breaststroke, I do front crawl, I do a floating stroke,” he said.

The call for help was made at about 6pm.

At around 8.30pm, many hours after they first departed, the group were spotted and rescued. They had been carried about 9 miles out to sea.

The audio was released with the mother’s permission.

A forward commander who oversaw the rescue mission said the family was in an “incredibly perilous state”.

“They were in real trouble, and time was absolutely critical given how long they had been in the water and with daylight fading.

“What Austin did was incredibly brave. His bravery and courage in those conditions were astonishing, and his actions were crucial in bringing about a positive result.”

The officer also highlighted how the youth calmly conveyed vital details.

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

“And I’m not sure if it’s there, but they had this fishing rod, and there was a catch on the line. As we managed to catch a fish.”