A 13-year-old boy’s four-hour swim through dangerous ocean conditions saved his mother and two younger siblings after their family vacation turned into a life-threatening emergency off Australia’s coast.
Heroic Rescue Mission
Austin Appelbee abandoned his waterlogged inflatable kayak and removed his life jacket to swim 2.5 miles to shore after his family was swept out to sea near Perth. The teenager battled massive waves for approximately four hours, focusing on positive thoughts and repeating “just keep swimming” until he collapsed on the beach. His mother, Joanne Appelbee, 47, made the difficult decision to send her oldest child for help while she stayed with 12-year-old Beau and 8-year-old Grace, who were clinging to a paddleboard.
NEW: 13-year-old Australian boy swims for four hours in cold and dangerous waters to save his mom and siblings who were swept into the ocean, says God is who got him to shore.
The family was on kayaks & paddleboards when they were swept about 2.5 miles out to sea.
After a… pic.twitter.com/Gg7OctvHi4
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) February 3, 2026
The Perth family had rented kayaks and paddleboards from their hotel around noon when rough ocean conditions began dragging them away from shore. Police Inspector James Bradley praised Austin’s determination and courage, stating his actions ultimately saved three lives. A search helicopter located the mother and two children, finding them 9 miles from their original location at Quindalup in Western Australia after spending up to 10 hours in frigid water.
Family’s Struggle for Survival
Joanne Appelbee described maintaining morale by singing and joking with her children, treating their situation like a game until sunset brought choppy conditions and massive waves. The mother grew increasingly worried as darkness approached without rescue arriving. By the time help reached them, all three were severely cold, with young Beau losing feeling in his legs from prolonged exposure to the water. The family wore life jackets throughout their ordeal while drifting further from safety.
Nightmare fuel
> your family is stranded at sea
> drifting away from land
> its getting dark and cold
> send it and swim 4km to shore
> collapse on beach
> basically hallucianting from exhaustion
> there's people
> thank_goodness.jpeg
> ask them for help
> they're all foreigners… https://t.co/nG4WoHPkxc— auspill (@aus_pill) February 4, 2026
What This Means
This remarkable story demonstrates the power of family bonds and individual courage under extreme circumstances. All four family members received medical evaluation but required no hospital treatment, with Joanne Appelbee expressing gratitude that her three children survived the ordeal. The incident highlights the importance of water safety awareness and emergency preparedness during recreational activities, especially in unpredictable ocean conditions that can quickly turn dangerous for unsuspecting families.