We Must Have a Aircraft to Go Find Them’: Adolescent’s Emergency Call to Rescue Loved Ones Stranded Off Australian Coast Revealed

“We became disoriented out there,” a 13-year-old boy explains to the 000 call handler, having swum four kilometres in rough, open water and sprinting 1.25 miles to get assistance for his family.

The operator questions how long has passed since he began.

“[It] was a very long time ago … I think they’re far offshore. I think we require a chopper to locate them,” he states.

Police have disclosed the emergency phone call made last month after the teen departed from his relatives adrift at sea off the WA coast to seek assistance.

His voice remains clear and calm, even as he details his fear for his kin.

“I am unsure of what their condition is right now, and I’m terrified,” he confides in the operator.

“Mum said go get help … We were in serious danger.”

The Dangerous Incident

The holidaymakers had been pulled 2.5 miles out to sea in stormy conditions while kayaking and paddleboarding.

His parent asked him to use his craft and get assistance, so the boy began, discarding first his sinking craft then his unwieldy PFD to swim the distance.

After reaching land – after an extensive period – he raced for two kilometres 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 states 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 hypothermia … I’m really, I’m extremely tired. I have hyperthermia, and I feel like I’m about to faint.”

A Getaway in Peril

The holidaymakers was on holiday in Quindalup, 125 miles south of Perth. They set off from Geographe Bay following 10am on a Friday in late January.

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

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

The mother also referenced having to make “an incredibly tough choice” to instruct her son to swim to land.

“I knew he was the best swimmer and he could do it,” she commented.

The Rescue Effort

The teenager recalled being “extremely winded”.

“I just pressed on, I do breaststroke, I do front crawl, I do survival backstroke,” he recalled.

The call for help was made at around 6pm.

At about 8.30pm, a full ten hours after they first set out, the stranded individuals were found and brought to safety. They had drifted about 14km out to sea.

The audio was released with the mother’s permission.

A police sergeant who oversaw the operation said the group was in an “incredibly perilous state”.

“They were in genuine danger, and time was absolutely critical given how much time they had been in the water and with light running out.

“What the teenager did was nothing short of extraordinary. His bravery and courage in those conditions were remarkable, and his actions were pivotal in bringing about a successful outcome.”

The commander also praised how the youth calmly conveyed critical information.

When asked to detail the equipment for the authorities, the boy 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 catch on the line. As we caught one.”