We Require a Aircraft to Locate Them’: Teenager’s Urgent Plea to Aid Family Adrift Off Australian Coast Unveiled

“We got lost out there,” a 13-year-old boy tells the triple-zero dispatcher, having swum 4km in treacherous, open ocean and sprinting 2km to secure help for his household.

The operator questions how long has passed 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 rescue aircraft to go find them,” he says.

Emergency services have released the distress call made in recent weeks after the boy departed from his loved ones drifting at sea off the West Australian coast to find rescuers.

His demeanour remains clear and calm, even as he details his fear for his family.

“I am unsure of what their state is right now, and I’m terrified,” he confides in the person on the line.

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

The Perilous Situation

The family group had been pulled 4km out to sea in rough conditions while using kayaks and paddleboards.

His mum asked him to set out and get assistance, so the youth set off, abandoning first his failing kayak then his unwieldy PFD to cover the remaining stretch.

After reaching land – four hours later – he ran for two kilometres 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 explains the emergency services.

“I’m located on the beach right now, and I have to also mention – I think I need an medical help because I think I have exposure … I’m really, I’m completely exhausted. I have heatstroke, and I feel like I’m about to faint.”

A Holiday Turned Crisis

The family was on a break in Quindalup, 125 miles south of Perth. They began their trip from Geographe Bay around 10am on a Friday in late January.

The parent later described that they were having fun when the kids “ventured out too far”. The wind picked up, they lost their oars, and started floating away.

“It sort of all turned bad very, very quickly,” she said.

The parent also referenced having to make “an incredibly tough choice” to send her son to swim ashore.

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

The Search Operation

The boy explained being “extremely winded”.

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

The distress call was made at around 6pm.

At around 8.30pm, a full ten hours after they first departed, the group were spotted and rescued. They had floated about 9 miles out to sea.

The recording was released with the mother’s permission.

A senior officer who oversaw the rescue mission said the group was in an “extremely dire situation”.

“They were in real trouble, and time was absolutely critical given how long they had been in the water and with daylight fading.

“What the boy did was incredibly brave. His bravery and courage in those conditions were astonishing, and his actions were crucial in bringing about a successful outcome.”

The sergeant also highlighted how the youth calmly conveyed key facts.

When asked to describe the boards for the search crew, the youth responded: “They were a green and white colour.”

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