NEED TO KNOW
A 13-year-old boy swam four hours to shore to call for help after his family was stranded off the coast of Australia on Jan. 30
The family had been kayaking and paddleboarding before they were swept out to sea
The teen’s mother and two siblings were saved following a multi-agency rescue operation
A 13-year-old boy’s courageous swim to save his family after they were swept out to sea has stunned rescuers in Australia.
“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,” Inspector James Bradley of the South West District Office said in a statement about the near-tragic incident in Geographe Bay in Western Australia on Friday, Jan. 30.
That Friday, a woman and three children were swept out to sea while kayaking and paddleboarding off the coast of Quindalup. That’s when the 13-year-old boy decided to return to shore, despite the “fading light and rough conditions,” according to the Western Australian Police Force.
The teen was able to paddle a short distance before his kayak took on water, officials said. With no other options, the boy swam approximately two-and-a-half miles to shore.
Paul Bresland, the commander for Naturaliste Volunteer Marine Rescue, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that the child swam for four hours before he reached land. He described the teen’s efforts as “superhuman.”
“He swam in, he reckons, the first two hours with a life jacket on,” Bresland told the outlet. “And the brave fella thought he’s not going to make it with a life jacket on, so he ditched it, and he swam the next two hours without a life jacket.”
The commander added, “I thought, mate, that is incredible.”
Once the 13-year-old was on dry land, he sounded the alarm and a multi-agency search was launched.
The teen boy was able to share details about the color of the paddleboards and kayak his family had been using, which helped rescue teams locate the missing family within an hour, ABC reported.
By 8:30 p.m. local time, a 47-year-old woman, a 12-year-old boy and an 8-year-old girl were found by a rescue helicopter, authorities said. The trio, who had been holding onto a paddleboard, was brought to safety by a rescue vessel after hours of treading water, according to ABC. Bresland praised the mother for keeping her two children safe and anchored on the paddleboard in difficult water conditions.
Busselton Jetty in Geographe Bay, Western Australia.
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“Physically, she just said, ‘I’m struggling, I can’t,’ but she just said they’re looking her in the eye, and she just kept going and kept them together,” Bresland told the outlet, adding that the mom was an “absolute hero.”
Following the rescue, the woman and two children were transported to a medical center for evaluation, the Western Australia Police Force said.
“This incident is a reminder that ocean conditions can change rapidly,” Bradley said in the statement. “Thankfully, all three people were wearing lifejackets, which contributed to their survival.”
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In a statement shared by Naturaliste Volunteer Marine Rescue, the agency said that the family acted with “bravery, strength, and courage.”
The rescue team called out “the young fella who swam [two-and-a-half miles] to raise the alarm and set everything into motion.”
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