The call made by an Australian teenager to alert emergency services after he and his family were swept kilometres out to sea south of Perth has been released by police.
The recording captured the moment Austin Appelbee calmly told the operator he had just swam and ran to reach a phone while his mother and two younger siblings remained kilometres offshore.
“We got lost out there,” he says in the call.
"I think they’re kilometres out to sea. I think we need a helicopter to go find them."
Austin made the call last month after his family drifted about 4km from Geographe Bay, near Quindalup, when strengthening winds pushed their kayaks and paddleboards far beyond the shoreline and they lost their oars.
“Mum said go get help … We were in massive trouble,” he tells the operator.
The teen set off alone, abandoning his sinking kayak and removing his lifejacket, which was slowing him down, before swimming through heavy swell for hours.
Once on the beach, he ran to find his mother’s phone.
Austin Appelbee and his family were paddleboarding and kayaking in Western Australia on Friday when rough conditions pushed them out to sea at around 6pm on Friday. (Source: Breakfast)
"I think I need an ambulance because I think I have hypothermia," he says in the recording.
"I’m extremely tired. I have heatstroke, and I feel like I’m about to pass out."
Western Australia police sergeant Andrew McDonnell coordinated the search and rescue effort, saying the family 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," he said.
"What Austin 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."
McDonnell also praised how calmly Austin conveyed information which was critical to the search and rescue team.
Asked to describe the paddle boards for the search and rescue team, Austin said they were green and white.
"And I’m not sure if it’s still on, but they had this fishing rod, and there was a fish on there. Coz we caught one."
Austin's mother Joanne and the two other kids were found clinging to a paddleboard around 14km offshore after spending hours in the water.
Joanne said all her children learned how to swim at a young age and encouraged other families to teach their kids.
"There's no bigger word to describe him other than proud," she told Nine News.
"I'm speechless at his efforts, but at the same time, I knew he could do it."
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