We Require a Helicopter to Go Find Them’: 13-Year-Old’s Distress Call to Rescue Relatives Lost Off Aussie Coast Disclosed

“We became disoriented out there,” a 13-year-old boy tells the 000 call handler, following a swim 2.5 miles in choppy, open water and jogging two kilometres to secure help for his kin.

The operator inquires how long has gone by since he started out.

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

Police have made public the recorded plea made previously after the teen departed from his loved ones drifting at sea off the WA coast to seek assistance.

His tone remains clear and calm, even as he details his concern for his family.

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

“Mum said to seek assistance … We were in serious danger.”

The Perilous Situation

The mother and children had been carried 2.5 miles out to sea in stormy conditions while using kayaks and paddleboards.

His mother urged him to take his kayak and locate rescue, so the youth began, ditching first his waterlogged vessel then his cumbersome lifejacket to swim the distance.

After making it to shore – four hours later – he ran for two kilometres to access a mobile phone.

“Hello, my name is Austin … I have a brother and sister, Beau and Grace. Beau is 12 and Grace is eight,” he states the operator.

“I’m positioned on the beach right now, and I have to also add – I think I need an ambulance because I think I have exposure … I’m really, I’m completely exhausted. I have sunstroke, and I feel like I’m about to collapse.”

A Vacation Gone Wrong

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

The mother later recalled that they were having fun when the kids “drifted further than intended”. The conditions worsened, they were separated from their equipment, and started drifting.

“It pretty much all went wrong very, very quickly,” she noted.

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

“I knew he was the strongest and he was able to manage it,” she stated.

The Rescue Effort

The boy described being “very puffed out”.

“I just continued swimming, I do breaststroke, I do front crawl, I do a floating stroke,” he explained.

The emergency call was made at around 6pm.

At roughly 8.30pm, many hours after they first departed, the group were found and brought to safety. They had been carried about 14km out to sea.

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

A police sergeant who coordinated the rescue mission said the family was in an “extremely dire situation”.

“They were in serious jeopardy, and time was of the essence given how much time they had been in the water and with light running out.

“What Austin did was truly remarkable. His fortitude and resolve in those conditions were exceptional, and his actions were crucial in bringing about a positive result.”

The commander also praised how the youth calmly conveyed vital details.

When asked to identify the equipment for the rescue team, the boy replied: “They were a green and white colour.”

“And I’m not sure if it’s there, but they had this rod, and there was a fish on there. Because we managed to catch a fish.”