We Must Have a Chopper to Search For Them’: 13-Year-Old’s Urgent Plea to Save Family Lost Off Australian Coast Revealed

“We ended up adrift out there,” the teenager informs the 000 call handler, after swimming four kilometres in treacherous, open ocean and jogging 2km to secure help for his household.

The call taker inquires how long has passed since he set off.

“[It] was ages past … I think they’re a long way from land. I think we must get a chopper to go find them,” he reports.

Authorities have disclosed the emergency phone call made last month after the youth left his relatives adrift at sea off the West Australian coast to find rescuers.

His voice remains steady and composed, even as he expresses his fear for his family.

“I don’t know what their status is right now, and I’m really scared,” he tells the dispatcher.

“Mum said to seek assistance … We were in grave peril.”

The Dangerous Incident

The holidaymakers had been carried four kilometres out to sea in stormy conditions while enjoying water sports.

His mum instructed him to set out and locate rescue, so the teenager set off, discarding first his waterlogged vessel then his cumbersome lifejacket to cover the remaining stretch.

After getting to the beach – following a four-hour swim – he ran for 2km to retrieve 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 operator.

“I’m located on the beach right now, and I have to also explain – I think I need an medical help because I think I have exposure … I’m really, I’m completely exhausted. I have hyperthermia, and I feel like I’m about to faint.”

A Getaway in Peril

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

The parent later recalled that they were playing around when the kids “went out a bit too far”. The conditions worsened, they lost their oars, and started being carried out.

“It pretty much all went wrong very, very quickly,” she said.

The parent also referenced having to make “an incredibly tough choice” to send her son to swim ashore.

“I knew he was the most capable and he could do it,” she said.

The Rescue Effort

The youth described being “very puffed out”.

“I just pressed on, I do breaststroke, I do front crawl, I do a floating stroke,” he said.

The distress call was made at about 6pm.

At around 8.30pm, a full ten hours after they first departed, the stranded individuals were spotted and rescued. They had floated about fourteen kilometres out to sea.

The emergency call was released with the family’s permission.

A police sergeant who managed the search and rescue effort said the family was in an “extremely dire situation”.

“They were in serious jeopardy, and time was of the essence given how much time they had been in the water and with light running out.

“What the teenager did was truly remarkable. His bravery and courage in those conditions were exceptional, and his actions were crucial in bringing about a positive result.”

The commander also praised how the youth clearly relayed vital details.

When asked to identify the paddleboards for the search crew, the youth responded: “They were a green and white colour.”

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