A 13-year-old Australian boy has gone viral after swimming for hours to get help for his family after they drifted out to sea.
The family was together using kayaks and paddleboards on Friday morning, but drifted too far offshore when weather conditions changed and were unable to make it back. This resulted in Austin Appelbee swimming 2.5 miles back to shore to get help, the Associated Press reported.
“The waves are massive and I have no life jacket on. … I just kept thinking ‘just keep swimming, just keep swimming,’” Appelbee said of his amazing feat of strength and courage. “And then I finally, I made it to shore and I hit the bottom of the beach and I just collapsed.”
The teen originally tried to take one of the kayaks to go get help, but it began to take on water, and he had to abandon it. He was forced to remove his life jacket as well because it hindered his efforts to get back to shore.
Appelbee was able to alert authorities, who performed a helicopter rescue of his family members still adrift off the coast of Quindalup Beach in Western Australia. His mother, Joanne Appelbee, 12-year-old brother Beau, and 8-year-old sister Grace were all rescued hours after he left them. By the time of their rescue, the family had drifted 8.5 miles from the shore.
“I didn’t think I was a hero – I just did what I did,” he said of what happened, BBC reported. “I was thinking about mum, Beau, and Grace. I was also thinking about my friends and my girlfriend – I have a really good bunch of friends,” Appelbee added. “When I hit the floor I thought, how am I on land right now – is this a dream?”
Appelbee’s mom said she didn’t have an easy time letting him go. “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,’” she told reporters, per the AP.
“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,” Inspector James Bradley of the South West District office said in a statement. “This incident is a reminder that ocean conditions can change rapidly. Thankfully, all three people were wearing life jackets, which contributed to their survival.”
Rescuers called the teen’s heroic actions “superhuman.”
The family members were all evaluated and treated for minor injuries. None required hospitalization. Appelbee used crutches briefly due to having sore legs.
