13-Year-Old Swims 4 Hours to Save Family from Drowning in Australia

A 13-year-old boy hailed as a hero swam for four hours to save his family from drowning after powerful waves swept them offshore along the southwestern coast of Australia. Austin Appelby, from Western Australia, swam approximately 4 kilometers to shore to alert authorities after he, his mother Joanne Appelby, 47, his brother Bo, 12, and sister Grace, 8, were stranded at sea on paddle boards and a kayak in Geographe Bay. Strong winds pushed them further from land, and when Austin’s kayak began taking on water, he abandoned it, removed his life jacket, and continued swimming. He stayed positive during the grueling four-hour swim in stormy seas, finally raising the alarm at 6 p.m. His mother described sending him as “one of the hardest decisions of my life.” Rescue teams—including the Western Australian Police Marine Unit, volunteer marine rescue groups, and a rescue helicopter—launched a major operation. Austin’s detailed description of the kayak and boards helped rescuers locate the family by 8:30 p.m., clinging to a board 14 kilometers offshore. Authorities called his effort “superhuman.”