“I just said ‘all right, not today, not today, not today’,” the boy told Sky News.
“I do breastroke, I do freestyle, I do survival backstroke.
“I hit the bottom of the beach and I just collapsed, and then after that I had to sprint 2km to go get to the phone.”
The waters are known for their frequent shark sightings, with WA’s SharkSmart website tracking multiple sightings along the south west coast in the past week alone.
Naturaliste Marine Rescue commander Paul Bresland told the ABC the rest of the child’s family – his 47-year-old mother and brothers, 12 and eight – were rescued at 8.30pm, clinging to a paddleboard 14km offshore.
Bresland said the 13-year-old showed “superhuman” efforts swimming to shore to alert authorities.
“He swam in, he reckons, the first two hours with a life jacket on,” he told the broadcaster.
The multi-agency deployment included the AMSAR SAR aircraft from Perth, RAC Helicopter from Bunbury, two rescue vessels from Marine Rescue Naturaliste and two vessels from Marine Rescue Busselton.
In a Facebook post, Marine Rescue Busselton said it was a “fantastic effort” and great outcome from everyone involved in the “very trying conditions”.
“Please be mindful of the strong offshore winds that can occur this time of year,” the agency stated in their post.
South West Police Inspector James Bradley also joined in the praise of the child’s actions.
“Thankfully, all three people were wearing life jackets, which contributed to their survival,” he told the ABC.
“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.”
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