‘My family are lost out there’ – hero Australian boy’s emergency call for help after four-hour swim released
Austin Appelbee had to swim 4km and then run another 2km before he could make call to rescue his siblings and Irish mum
Austin Apelbee (13), along with his mother, Joanne Appelbee and his younger siblings, Beau and Grace, were swept 4km out to sea while kayaking and paddleboarding in Geographe Bay on the south-west coast of Western Australia.Ms Appelbee, who is originally from Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan, was holidaying with her children in the Quindalup area when rough seas and strong winds dragged their kayaks and paddleboards far from shore shortly after noon on January 30.Western Australian police have since released an audio clip of the emergency call that Austin made, on which he calmly shares details of the family’s situation.On the call, Austin said: “Hello, my name is Austin, I have two siblings, Beau is 12 and Grace is eight.“We went out on a kayak trip and a paddleboard trip and we got lost out there. And now we’ve been lost a very long time. We couldn’t get back to shore and my mum sent me back to get help .“I haven’t seen them since that. I think they’re kilometres out in sea.“I’m sitting on the beach right now and I think I need an ambulance because I think I have hypothermia.”I am dehydrated, I think I’ve had heatstroke and I’m really hungryIn another section of the clip, Austin said: “I had a kayak and then it had a bunch of water in it and I started to sink, falling off it.“So I decided to take off my life jacket off and to swim around about 4km, facing the current, and I feel like I’m about to pass out and I am dehydrated, I think I’ve had heatstroke and I’m really hungry.”Austin made the call for help from the beach at 6pm after running 2km to where he was able to call for help.The director of Western Australia’s Police Media Unit, Joey Catanzaro, said Austin’s clear and concise communications were a “textbook” example of what to do in an emergency.“Austin is already a hero for saving the lives of his mother and siblings, Beau and Grace,” Mr Catanzaro said.“But the lessons which we hope people will learn by listening to his call for help has the potential to save thousands more lives.“Every parent and every child should listen and learn from Austin.”Mr Catanzaro also thanked Austin’s mother, for consenting to sharing the clip.
