We Require a Aircraft to Go Find Them’: 13-Year-Old’s Emergency Call to Save Family Stranded Off Aussie Coast Disclosed

“We became disoriented out there,” a 13-year-old boy tells the emergency operator, after swimming four kilometres in treacherous, the sea and running two kilometres to secure help for his kin.

The call taker inquires how long has passed since he began.

“[It] was quite some time back … I think they’re kilometres out to sea. I think we need a rescue aircraft to search for them,” he says.

Authorities have disclosed the distress call made in recent weeks after the youth departed from his family adrift at sea off the Western Australian coast to find rescuers.

His tone remains clear and calm, even as he expresses his worry for his family.

“I don’t know what their condition is right now, and I’m really scared,” he informs the person on the line.

“Mum said to seek assistance … We were in massive trouble.”

The Dangerous Incident

The family group had been carried four kilometres out to sea in treacherous conditions while kayaking and paddleboarding.

His mother urged him to set out and get assistance, so the teenager set off, discarding first his waterlogged vessel then his bulky flotation device to cover the remaining stretch.

After making it to shore – after an extensive period – he raced for 2km to get to a phone.

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

“I’m positioned on the beach right now, and I have to also mention – I think I need an paramedic because I think I have a dangerously low body temperature … I’m really, I’m completely exhausted. I have hyperthermia, and I feel like I’m about to pass out.”

A Holiday Turned Crisis

The group was on holiday in Quindalup, 200km south of Perth. They began their trip from Geographe Bay around 10am on a Friday in late January.

The woman later explained that they were playing around when the children “went out a bit too far”. The conditions worsened, they were separated from their equipment, and started being carried out.

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

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

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

The Successful Mission

The boy recalled being “completely out of breath”.

“I just pressed on, I do breaststroke, I do front crawl, I do a floating stroke,” he said.

The call for help was made at about 6pm.

At about 8.30pm, ten hours after they first set out, the stranded individuals were spotted and rescued. They had drifted about 14km out to sea.

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

A forward commander who coordinated the search and rescue effort said the group was in an “incredibly perilous state”.

“They were in genuine danger, and time was absolutely critical 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 remarkable, and his actions were instrumental in bringing about a successful outcome.”

The commander also praised how the youth calmly conveyed key facts.

When asked to detail the paddleboards for the rescue team, the teenager responded: “They were coloured green and white.”

“And I’m not sure if it’s there, but they had this fishing line, and there was a fish on there. Because we hooked one.”