We Require a Chopper to Locate Them’: 13-Year-Old’s Urgent Plea to Aid Relatives Adrift Off Down Under Coast Disclosed

“We ended up adrift out there,” the teenager explains to the emergency operator, after swimming 2.5 miles in rough, open water and sprinting 2km to secure help for his household.

The dispatcher inquires how much time has passed since he began.

“[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 reports.

Authorities have disclosed the distress call made last month after the youth departed from his relatives adrift at sea off the West Australian coast to find rescuers.

His demeanour remains steady and composed, even as he expresses his fear for his kin.

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

“Mum said to seek assistance … We were in serious danger.”

The Perilous Situation

The family group had been carried 2.5 miles out to sea in stormy conditions while using kayaks and paddleboards.

His mum instructed him to take his kayak and locate rescue, so the boy commenced, abandoning first his sinking craft then his cumbersome lifejacket to make the journey by swimming.

After making it to shore – after an extensive period – he sprinted for 2km to access a mobile phone.

“Hello, my name is Austin … I have two siblings, Beau and Grace. Beau is 12 and Grace is eight,” he states the call handler.

“I’m positioned on the beach right now, and I have to also add – I think I need an ambulance because I think I have hypothermia … I’m really, I’m completely exhausted. I have hyperthermia, and I feel like I’m about to collapse.”

A Getaway in Peril

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

The mother later described that they were having fun when the children “drifted further than intended”. The wind picked up, they lost their oars, and started being carried out.

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

The parent 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 strongest and he was able to manage it,” she said.

The Successful Mission

The teenager recalled being “very puffed out”.

“I just pressed on, I do the breaststroke, I do freestyle, I do survival backstroke,” he said.

The emergency call was made at around 6pm.

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

The recording was made public with the parents' permission.

A police sergeant who oversaw the operation said the family was in an “desperately dangerous position”.

“They were in genuine danger, and time was of the essence given how much time they had been in the water and with daylight fading.

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

The sergeant also commended how the youth calmly conveyed critical information.

When asked to detail the equipment for the rescue team, the youth said: “They were a green and white colour.”

“And I’m not sure if it’s there, but they had this rod, and there was a catch on the line. Since we hooked one.”