🚨 REAL-LIFE HERO: 13-year-old Austin Appelbee is being hailed as a true hero after swimming for 4 HOURS through rough, choppy seas to save his entire family! 😱💪

The family was out on kayaks and inflatable paddleboards off Quindalup Beach in Western Australia when strong winds swept them miles out to sea. Austin’s mom Joanne made the gut-wrenching call: send her oldest son to swim for help. He ditched his life jacket halfway to swim faster, battled massive waves, and kept telling himself “Not today, not today” to push on.

After 4km (about 2.5 miles) in cold water, he reached shore, ran another 2km to call emergency services… and rescuers found his mom, 12-year-old brother Beau, and 8-year-old sister Grace clinging to paddleboards after drifting 14km offshore for up to 10 hours.

Austin’s quote hits hard: “I had to ditch the life jacket so I wouldn’t get tangled… and then I just kept swimming, and then…”👇

A 13-year-old boy named Austin Appelbee has been praised as a hero after swimming approximately 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) through cold, choppy waters for four hours to raise the alarm and secure rescue for his mother and two younger siblings, who had been swept far out to sea by strong winds while using kayaks and inflatable paddleboards.

The incident occurred on Friday, January 30, 2026, off Quindalup Beach in Geographe Bay, about 250 kilometers south of Perth in Western Australia’s South West region. Austin, his mother Joanne Appelbee, 47, brother Beau, 12, and sister Grace, 8, had set out for what was intended as a family recreational outing on hired equipment. Conditions deteriorated rapidly with strong offshore winds pushing the group farther from shore.

As the family struggled against the current, Joanne Appelbee made the difficult decision to send Austin toward land for help. He initially attempted to paddle back in his kayak but abandoned the vessel after it took on too much water. Wearing a life jacket at first, Austin swam the first roughly 2 kilometers before removing the flotation device, believing it hindered his progress in the rough seas. He completed the remaining distance without it, battling large waves and fatigue.

Austin reached Quindalup Beach around 6 p.m., then ran an additional 2 kilometers to his family’s accommodation to use a phone and contact emergency services. Police and emergency responders were alerted, and a search helicopter located Joanne, Beau, and Grace clinging to paddleboards approximately 14 kilometers offshore around 8:30 p.m. The trio had been in the water for up to 10 hours, enduring cold temperatures and rough conditions. All were rescued safely, though Beau had lost sensation in his legs from hypothermia exposure.

Western Australia Police Inspector James Bradley described Austin’s actions as “superhuman,” noting the determination and courage displayed by the teenager ultimately saved his family’s lives. “The actions of the 13-year-old boy cannot be praised highly enough,” Bradley said in a statement.

In interviews with outlets including ABC News Australia, BBC, and 7News, Austin recounted his mindset during the ordeal. “The waves are massive and I have no life jacket on… I just kept thinking ‘just keep swimming, just keep swimming,’” he said. He repeated to himself, “Not today, not today, not today,” to maintain focus amid exhaustion. Austin also drew on positive thoughts, including memories of Thomas the Tank Engine, to stay motivated. In one account, he credited faith, stating, “I don’t think it was me who did it. It was God the whole time.”

Joanne Appelbee described the moment she sent her son into the water as “one of the hardest decisions I ever had to make.” She explained she could not leave her younger children unattended in the ocean to swim herself. “Try and get to shore and get some help. This could get really serious really quickly,” she told him. As sunset approached and no rescue appeared, doubt crept in, but she kept the family positive by singing and joking to maintain morale.

Austin had prior swimming lessons but admitted shorter 350-meter swims had felt tiring in the past. The four-hour effort in open ocean with strong currents and fading light has been called remarkable by experts, who cite survival backstroke, mind-over-matter determination, and adrenaline as factors in his success.

The family, from Perth, was on holiday in the area. No injuries were reported beyond cold exposure, and all members were treated and released. Authorities have not indicated any charges or further inquiries, as the incident appears weather-related rather than negligent.

Austin has downplayed his role, telling the BBC, “I didn’t think I was a hero—I just did what I did.” He expressed relief upon learning his family was safe, having worried about their survival during his swim. Public reaction has been overwhelmingly positive, with social media and news comments calling for bravery awards and describing him as a “legend” and “champion.”

The story highlights the unpredictable dangers of open-water activities, even in seemingly calm coastal areas. Strong winds can quickly create hazardous conditions for paddlecraft, and experts recommend checking forecasts, using leashes, and carrying communication devices.

For the Appelbee family, the ordeal ended in reunion and gratitude. Joanne emphasized, “I have three babies. All three made it. That was all that mattered.” Austin’s courage has inspired widespread admiration, serving as a testament to youthful resilience in crisis.

As details continue to emerge, Austin Appelbee’s actions remain a powerful example of bravery under extreme pressure, reminding communities of the extraordinary potential in ordinary young people facing life-or-death situations.