Austin Applebee said he spent hours racing back to dry land to seek help, with his mom and two siblings still in the water
NEED TO KNOW
- A boy spent hours swimming back to shore to seek help for three of his family members after they were all swept out into the ocean off the coast of Australia last week
- Austin Applebee said he prayed, thought of Christian songs and kept “happy thoughts” in mind while racing for help
- “I didn’t think I was a hero — I just did what I did,” he said
A family is speaking out after they were swept into the ocean off the coast of Australia last week and then rescued thanks to the oldest child.
A mom and her children were reported to have been pulled out into the water while kayaking and paddle boarding off the coast of Quindalup, in Geographe Bay, on Friday, Jan. 30, according to a news release from the Western Australia Police Force’s South West District.
With daylight fading, the 13-year-old in the group “decided to return to shore” despite the rough seas, police said.
The boy first “paddled a short distance before his kayak took on water,” leading him to swim the remaining two nautical miles back to shore.
The teen, Austin Applebee, is now being hailed for helping save mom Joanne, 47, brother Beau, 12, and sister Grace, 8, according to the BBC and the Associated Press.
“I didn’t think I was a hero — I just did what I did,” Austin told the BBC.
Joanne said her family was just having “a bit of fun” when she realized her children “went out a bit too far” in the water, according to the BBC.
Soon after, the mom said “the wind picked up” and caused them to lose their oars as they quickly drifted out into the larger ocean.
But Joanne did not want to leave her kids, so her eldest son was sent back for help. She told Australia’s ABC News that it was “one of the hardest decisions I ever had to make.”
Austin took the kayak as he raced back to shore. But the vessel soon capsized.
That’s when Austin decided to abandon both the kayak and his life jacket, which he said was making it more difficult to effectively swim through the large waves rather than merely float, according to ABC News.
Austin said he spent the next two hours swimming back to shore while praying, thinking of Christian songs and maintaining “happy thoughts” along the way, the BBC reported.
He kept his family in mind the entire way as well.
It was about 6 p.m. local time when Austin finally returned to shore. He then called for help before passing out.
“I said, ‘I need helicopters, I need planes, I need boats, my family’s out at sea.’ I was very calm about it,” the teen recalled, according to ABC News.
Austin’s mom and two siblings were found around 8:30 p.m. local time, according to police. They were about 14 kilometers, or about 7.5 nautical miles, off shore when they were located, per the BBC.
All four were treated at Busselton Health Campus after the incident, authorities said.
Austin said he is thankful for the rapid response from emergency services, according to the BBC.
Meanwhile, ABC News reports that his mom is happy she and her three kids are all still together: “We made it, we’re alive and that’s the most important thing.”
CRE: https://people.com/mom-sent-teen-son-to-swim-for-help-after-family-swept-to-sea-in-australia-11898300