A teen swam miles to get help after his mother and two siblings were swept out to sea.
According to WA Today and the Associated Press, the 13-year-old, Austin Appelbee, was enjoying a day of kayaking and paddleboarding with his family at Geographe Bay off the coast of Western Australia. However, rough conditions turned the excursion into a fight for survival.
His mother, Joanne, stayed behind with his 12-year-old brother, Beau, and his eight-year-old sister, Grace, clinging to a paddleboard to remain together as a unit in choppy waters.
Meanwhile, Austin headed to shore in an inflatable kayak. "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,'" Joanne told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, per the AP.
Unfortunately, Austin's kayak began to take on water. He knew the best way for him to take action was to abandon the vessel as he continued his quest for help.
While he initially wore a life jacket, Austin told reporters he removed it because it hindered his ability to swim — and he knew his family needed assistance as soon as possible.
All in all, he swam four kilometers, or 2.5 miles, to get to shore.
"The waves are massive, and I have no life jacket on. I just kept thinking, 'Just keep swimming, just keep swimming,'" Austin said. "And then I finally I made it to shore and I hit the bottom of the beach and I just collapsed."
Thanks to Austin's bravery, a search team found and rescued his family 14 kilometers (nearly nine miles) offshore at about 8:30 p.m. local time.
WA Police Inspector James Bradley said that the rescue underscored how ocean conditions can change rapidly, per WA Today. This is due in part to naturally occurring weather patterns. However, air pollution is also warming the climate, exacerbating dangerous conditions and contributing to weather whiplash. Fortunately, the Appelbees had taken precautionary measures.
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"Thankfully, all three people were wearing life jackets, which contributed to their survival. 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," Bradley said.
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