Audio of a triple-0 call made by 13-year-old Austin Appelbee has been released, revealing the moments after he swam 4km against a strong current to get help for his stranded mother and siblings.
The incident occurred on January 30 in Geographe Bay, about 200km south of Perth, on Western Australia’s south-west coast. Austin and his family had hired paddle boards and a kayak before heading into the water.
They later got into trouble and Austin swam back against the current to reach land, then ran approximately 2km along the beach to locate a phone and contact emergency services.
His actions drew international attention.
All members of the family have since been discharged from hospital and did not suffer serious injuries.
On Wednesday, police released part of the emergency call recording, made as Austin reported symptoms consistent with hypothermia.
“We couldn’t get back to shore and mum told me to go back to get help. I haven’t seen them since then,” he tells the emergency services call taker.
“I think they’re kilometres out to sea. I think we need a helicopter to go find them. I’m sitting on the beach right now, I think I need an ambulance because I think I’ve got hypothermia.
“I don’t know what their condition is right now and I’m really scared.”
During the call, Austin provided detailed information to authorities, including the time his family entered the water and the colours of their paddle boards, despite no longer being able to see them from shore.
“Mum said, ‘Go get help’. We were in massive trouble,” Austin said.
Police released the audio with the permission of Austin’s mother and praised the teenager’s response.
“What Austin did was nothing short of extraordinary,” Acting Sergeant Andrew McDonnell said.
“His bravery and courage in those conditions were remarkable, and his actions were pivotal in bringing about a successful outcome,” the officer in charge of the search said.
“The situation the Appelbee family found themselves in was extremely dire. They were in real trouble, and time was absolutely critical given how long they had been in the water and with daylight fading.
“By getting himself to safety and relaying critical information, he helped enable a co-ordinated response involving WA Police, local Marine Rescue volunteers and St John Ambulance – all people who live in and serve this community, many of whom do so as volunteers.”
Images: ABC
