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

“We became disoriented out there,” young Austin Appelbee informs the emergency operator, after swimming four kilometres in rough, open water and sprinting 1.25 miles to get assistance for his kin.

The dispatcher asks how long has elapsed since he started out.

“[It] was a very long time ago … I think they’re a long way from land. I think we need a chopper to go find them,” he states.

Authorities have disclosed the distress call made previously after the teen departed from his family floating at sea off the WA coast to find rescuers.

His voice remains clear and calm, even as he voices 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 dispatcher.

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

The Perilous Situation

The holidaymakers had been carried 2.5 miles out to sea in rough conditions while enjoying water sports.

His parent urged him to set out and get assistance, so the boy began, ditching first his sinking craft then his unwieldy PFD to make the journey by swimming.

After getting to the beach – after an extensive period – he ran for two kilometres to access a cell phone.

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

“I’m positioned on the beach right now, and I have to also explain – I think I need an medical help because I think I have hypothermia … I’m really, I’m extremely tired. I have heatstroke, and I feel like I’m about to pass out.”

A Vacation Gone Wrong

The family was on holiday in Quindalup, two hundred kilometres south of Perth. They began their trip from Geographe Bay around 10am on a Friday in late January.

The mother later described that they were playing around when the kids “drifted further than intended”. The conditions worsened, they lost their oars, and started being carried out.

“It sort of all became dangerous very, very quickly,” she noted.

The mother also referenced having to make “a terribly difficult call” to send her son to swim ashore.

“I knew he was the strongest and he had the ability to succeed,” she stated.

The Rescue Effort

The teenager explained being “completely out of breath”.

“I just continued swimming, I do the breaststroke, I do front crawl, I do survival backstroke,” he said.

The call for help was made at approximately 6pm.

At roughly 8.30pm, a full ten hours after they first departed, the family were located and saved. They had drifted about fourteen kilometres out to sea.

The emergency call was released with the mother’s permission.

A senior officer who coordinated the operation said the group 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 incredibly brave. His heroic actions in those conditions were exceptional, and his actions were crucial in bringing about a successful outcome.”

The sergeant also highlighted how the boy calmly conveyed vital details.

When asked to detail the boards for the authorities, the teenager said: “They were coloured green and white.”

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