We Require a Chopper to Go Find Them’: 13-Year-Old’s Distress Call to Save Family Lost Off Aussie Coast Disclosed

“We ended up adrift out there,” the teenager explains to the emergency operator, after swimming 2.5 miles in choppy, open ocean and sprinting 1.25 miles to get assistance for his family.

The dispatcher inquires how long has gone by since he began.

“[It] was a very long time ago … I think they’re kilometres out to sea. I think we need a chopper to search for them,” he reports.

Police have disclosed the distress call made last month after the youth departed from his family floating at sea off the WA coast to fetch help.

His tone remains steady and composed, even as he expresses his fear for his family members.

“I have no idea about what their status is right now, and I’m terrified,” he confides in the dispatcher.

“Mum said to seek assistance … We were in grave peril.”

The Perilous Situation

The mother and children had been swept 2.5 miles out to sea in stormy conditions while kayaking and paddleboarding.

His parent instructed him to use his craft and find help, so the teenager set off, abandoning first his sinking craft then his cumbersome lifejacket to make the journey by swimming.

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

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

“I’m sitting on the beach right now, and I have to also mention – I think I need an ambulance because I think I have exposure … I’m really, I’m extremely tired. I have sunstroke, and I feel like I’m about to pass out.”

A Getaway in Peril

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

The parent later explained that they were playing around when the young ones “drifted further than intended”. The conditions worsened, they were separated from their equipment, and started drifting.

“It kind of all went wrong very, very quickly,” she noted.

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

“I knew he was the best swimmer and he could do it,” she commented.

The Successful Mission

The boy described being “completely out of breath”.

“I just continued swimming, I do the breaststroke, I do freestyle, I do a floating stroke,” he said.

The call for help was made at about 6pm.

At around 8.30pm, many hours after they first began, the group were found and brought to safety. They had drifted about 14km out to sea.

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

A senior officer who oversaw the search and rescue effort said the family was in an “desperately dangerous position”.

“They were in genuine danger, and time was of the essence given how long they had been in the water and with light running out.

“What the teenager did was truly remarkable. His bravery and courage in those conditions were remarkable, and his actions were pivotal in bringing about a successful outcome.”

The sergeant also commended how the teenager clearly relayed vital details.

When asked to detail the equipment for the rescue team, the boy said: “They were green and white.”

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