‘Superhuman’ teen, 13, swam for four hours to save his family stranded off Western Australian coast
- Boy swam for 4 hours to save his family
- Rescuers found them 14 kilometers from the coastline
A 13-year-old boy who swam 4 kilometers in dangerous waves to save his mother and two siblings was declared a hero.
The teenager’s family was on the water at Quindalup, 250km south of Perth, when strong winds began pushing their kayaks and paddleboards out to sea last Friday.
The boy jumped out of the canoe and started swimming towards the shore, completing the first two kilometers with his life jacket on and leaving for the last part.
He finally reached shore and raised the alarm.
Her family, consisting of a 47-year-old woman, a 12-year-old boy and an 8-year-old girl, were found by rescue teams clinging to a single paddle board 14 kilometers from the shore.
‘I just said… ‘not today, not today’. I did breaststroke, freestyle, backstroke. “I hit the bottom of the beach and collapsed,” the 13-year-old told Sky News.
‘And then I had to run two kilometers to get to the phone.’
Naturaliste Sea Rescue commander Paul Bresland described the boy’s continued efforts through the challenging waves as ‘superhuman’.
The 13-year-old (pictured) who swam four kilometers through treacherous waves to save his stranded family has been hailed as a hero
‘I think he swam with a life jacket in the first two hours,’ he said ABC.
‘And the brave man thought he wouldn’t make it while wearing a lifejacket, so he abandoned it and swam without it for the next two hours.’
WA Water Police, local marine rescue volunteers and a rescue helicopter were involved in the multi-agency search.
They were found within an hour at 20.30 and were towed to shore by a rescue boat.
The group had been treading water for several hours and the mother was trying to keep her children above water in the harsh conditions.
South West Police Inspector James Bradley praised the teenager for his accurate descriptions of the kayaks and paddleboards he provided to rescuers.
‘The actions of the 13-year-old boy cannot be praised enough,’ he said.
‘His determination and courage ultimately saved the lives of his mother and siblings.’
A 13-year-old boy who swam four kilometers through treacherous waves to save stranded family members has been hailed as a hero (pictured Busselton Pier at Geographe Bay)
The injured, who were evaluated by paramedics, were taken to Busselton Health Campus.
The family was reunited with rescuers after being released from the hospital over the weekend.
Mr Bradley added that the family’s use of lifejackets contributed to their survival and served as a timely reminder to other holidaymakers.
