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Teen's marathon swim saves stranded family at sea
A 13-year-old Australian boy swam for four hours to reach shore and alert rescuers after his mother and siblings were swept 14 km offshore on paddleboards, Western Australia police said.
The moment everything went wrong
Joanne Appelbee, 47, and her three children-Austin, 13, Beau, 12, and Grace, 8-were enjoying a final beach outing near Quindalup last Friday when conditions suddenly deteriorated. What began as a shallow-water paddle on two boards and a kayak turned chaotic as wind and waves carried them farther from shore.
"We lost oars, and we drifted out further," Joanne told the BBC. "It kind of all went wrong very, very quickly." With no way to steer, the family clung to the boards as currents pushed them miles offshore.
Austin's desperate bid for help
Early in the ordeal, Joanne sent Austin back toward land in the damaged kayak. The vessel quickly capsized, forcing him to abandon it and swim. "I started paddling with my arm," he recalled. After losing sight of his family, Austin swam the final 4 km without a life jacket, battling fatigue and fading light.
"I was thinking about mum, Beau and Grace," he said. "I was also thinking about my friends and my girlfriend." Christian songs and "happy thoughts" kept him moving through the two-hour swim.
Rescue and reunion
Austin reached shore around 18:00 local time (10:00 GMT) and called emergency services, sparking a large-scale search. Exhausted, he collapsed and was taken to hospital, where he sobbed uncontrollably, unaware if his family had survived.
Meanwhile, Joanne and the children spent 10 hours adrift, clinging to the boards in growing darkness. "We couldn't see anything coming to save us," she said. When a rescue boat finally appeared, she struggled to keep Beau and Grace afloat as they slipped into the water.
"It was an absolute nightmare."
Joanne Appelbee
"I just did what I did"
All four were treated for minor injuries and released. Austin, now back at school on crutches, downplays his role. "I didn't think I was a hero-I just did what I did," he told the BBC. He credits the ambulance crew and emergency responders for the "perfect ending."
Rescuers, however, called his actions "superhuman." Naturaliste Volunteer Marine Rescue Group commander Paul Bresland and police inspector James Bradley praised his "determination and courage," saying it "ultimately saved the lives of his mother and siblings."
What's next
The family is recovering at home in Perth. Austin, still processing the ordeal, returned to school this week, though his legs remain sore from the swim.
