13-year-old Australian boy swims 2.5 miles through rough seas to rescue family

A 13-year-old boy swam for hours in choppy ocean waters to save his family who were swept out to sea off the coast of Australia. He saved his mother and two younger siblings in a heroic effort, police said.

Police recalled that Austin Appelbee took off his life jacket so it wouldn’t restrict his swimming and set out alone for a 2.5-mile (4-kilometer) swim that took about 4 hours, battling giant waves until he finally reached shore and triggered a rescue that saved his mother Joanne Appelbee, 47, brother Beau, 12, and sister Grace, 8.

“The waves are huge and I don’t have a life jacket on. I just kept thinking, ‘Just keep swimming, just keep swimming,'” Austin said Tuesday. “And I finally made it to shore, hit the bottom of the beach and collapsed.”

The family, from Perth, were using rented kayaks and surfboards near Quindalup in Western Australia around noon on Friday when strong winds and rough seas pushed them further from shore. Austin initially tried to paddle an inflatable kayak for help, but gave up when the kayak started taking on water.

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A search helicopter later found Joanne and two young children clinging to a paddle board while wearing life jackets around 8.30pm, police said. Police said they drifted about 9 miles (14 kilometers) from shore and remained in the water for up to 10 hours.

“The 13-year-old’s actions cannot be praised enough; his determination and bravery ultimately saved the lives of his mother and siblings,” Police Inspector James Bradley said.

This image from the video shows Austin Appelbee being interviewed in Gidgegannup, Australia, on Tuesday, February 3, 2026. (ABC via AP)

Joanne Appelbee said sending her oldest son to help was the hardest decision she’s ever made.

Mother jumped into the water to save her 4-year-old daughter who fell between the cruise ship and the pier

“One of the hardest decisions I had to make was to tell Austin: ‘Try to get to shore and get help,’ he told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.

He said the group tried to stay positive as conditions worsened, but as night approached and help had not yet arrived, fear set in.

“We were positive, we were singing, we were joking and…we treated it like a game until the sun started to set and then it started to get very choppy. Very big waves,” he said.

This photo shows Castle Rock Bay, a popular tourist area in Geographe Bay near Dunsborough, Western Australia, Australia. (Auscape/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

His mother said all three were shivering when rescuers arrived and Beau had lost feeling in his legs due to the cold.

“I have three babies. All three made it. That’s all that matters,” she said.

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All four family members were medically evaluated and did not require hospitalization.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.