We Require a Chopper to Go Find Them’: Teenager’s Distress Call to Rescue Family Stranded Off Down Under Coast Unveiled

“We ended up adrift out there,” young Austin Appelbee explains to the 000 call handler, after swimming four kilometres in choppy, open water and sprinting 1.25 miles to get assistance for his family.

The operator questions how long has elapsed since he set off.

“[It] was a very long time ago … I think they’re far offshore. I think we need a chopper to search for them,” he says.

Police have made public the emergency phone call made last month after the youth departed from his loved ones drifting at sea off the West Australian coast to find rescuers.

His demeanour remains lucid and collected, even as he expresses his worry for his family members.

“I have no idea about what their status is right now, and I’m really scared,” he tells the person on the line.

“Mum said go get help … We were in massive trouble.”

The Perilous Situation

The mother and children had been swept 4km out to sea in treacherous conditions while kayaking and paddleboarding.

His mum urged him to set out and find help, so the youth began, discarding first his waterlogged vessel then his unwieldy PFD to make the journey by swimming.

After getting to the beach – after an extensive period – he raced for 2km to retrieve a phone.

“Hello, my name is Austin … I have two siblings, Beau and Grace. Beau is 12 and Grace is eight,” he tells the call handler.

“I’m sitting on the beach right now, and I have to also explain – I think I need an paramedic because I think I have hypothermia … I’m really, I’m completely exhausted. I have heatstroke, and I feel like I’m about to pass out.”

A Vacation Gone Wrong

The group was on vacation in Quindalup, 125 miles south of Perth. They began their trip from Geographe Bay some time after 10am on a Friday in late January.

The woman later recalled that they were playing around when the children “drifted further than intended”. The wind picked up, they were separated from their equipment, and started being carried out.

“It pretty much all turned bad very, very quickly,” she remarked.

The mother also spoke of having to make “one of the hardest decisions” to instruct her son to swim ashore.

“I knew he was the most capable and he had the ability to succeed,” she commented.

The Rescue Effort

The youth recalled being “very puffed out”.

“I just continued swimming, I do the breaststroke, I do front crawl, I do elementary backstroke,” he recalled.

The distress call was made at approximately 6pm.

At roughly 8.30pm, many hours after they first departed, the family were located and saved. They had drifted about 14km out to sea.

The recording was made public with the family’s permission.

A forward commander who managed the operation said the family was in an “desperately dangerous position”.

“They were in serious jeopardy, and time was of the essence given how long they had been in the water and with night approaching.

“What the teenager did was nothing short of extraordinary. His bravery and courage in those conditions were exceptional, and his actions were pivotal in bringing about a successful outcome.”

The officer also commended how the teenager effectively communicated vital details.

When asked to describe the boards for the rescue team, the youth replied: “They were a green and white colour.”

“And I’m not sure if it’s still on, but they had this rod, and there was a fish hooked. As we caught one.”