Perth, Australia: A 13-year-old boy has been hailed as a hero after swimming for nearly four hours through rough seas to save his mother and two younger siblings who were swept out to sea off the coast of Western Australia.

The incident occurred on Friday morning near Quindalup, south of Perth, where the family had hired kayaks and paddle boards from their hotel. Strong winds and increasingly choppy waters dragged them further out into the ocean, leaving them stranded and unable to return to shore.

As conditions worsened, the eldest child, Austin Appelbee, made the courageous decision to swim back to shore alone to raise the alarm. Police said Austin covered a distance of around four kilometres in treacherous conditions. He initially attempted to use an inflatable kayak and a life jacket but abandoned both when they slowed his progress.

“I was really scared, but I just kept thinking, ‘keep swimming’. I tried to think of happy things to stay calm,” Austin said.

After reaching shore at around 6 pm, Austin alerted authorities, triggering a major search and rescue operation. A rescue helicopter later located his mother, Joanne Appelbee, 47, his 12-year-old brother Beau, and his eight-year-old sister Grace at about 8.30 pm. The trio had drifted nearly 14 kilometres from the shoreline and spent close to 10 hours in the water.

Police Inspector James Bradley praised the teenager’s bravery, saying, “The actions of the 13-year-old boy cannot be praised highly enough. His determination and courage ultimately saved the lives of his mother and siblings.”

Joanne Appelbee described sending her eldest son for help as the hardest decision she had ever made. “I couldn’t leave all my children stranded in the ocean. I told Austin to get to shore and find help,” she said.

By the time of the rescue, all three were suffering from cold exposure, with Beau losing sensation in his legs. However, all four family members were medically assessed and none required hospitalisation.

“I have three babies. All three made it,” Joanne Appelbee said. “That’s all that mattered.”