We Must Have a Helicopter to Go Find Them’: Adolescent’s Urgent Plea to Save Loved Ones Adrift Off Aussie Coast Revealed

“We became disoriented out there,” a 13-year-old boy informs the emergency operator, having swum four kilometres in rough, open ocean and jogging 2km to summon rescue for his kin.

The operator questions how long has passed since he set off.

“[It] was a very long time ago … I think they’re kilometres out to sea. I think we require a chopper to search for them,” he reports.

Emergency services have made public the emergency phone call made last month after the teen left his family floating at sea off the West Australian coast to fetch help.

His tone remains clear and calm, even as he voices his fear for his family members.

“I am unsure of what their status is right now, and I’m extremely frightened,” he confides in the operator.

“Mum said to seek assistance … We were in serious danger.”

The Perilous Situation

The family group had been swept 4km out to sea in rough conditions while using kayaks and paddleboards.

His mum urged him to set out and get assistance, so the youth commenced, ditching first his sinking craft then his bulky flotation device to cover the remaining stretch.

After reaching land – after an extensive period – he raced for 2km to get to a cell phone.

“Hello, my name is Austin … I have a brother and sister, Beau and Grace. Beau is 12 and Grace is eight,” he explains the call handler.

“I’m located on the beach right now, and I have to also explain – I think I need an paramedic because I think I have hypothermia … I’m really, I’m extremely tired. I have hyperthermia, and I feel like I’m about to pass out.”

A Vacation Gone Wrong

The holidaymakers was on a break in Quindalup, two hundred kilometres south of Perth. They began their trip from Geographe Bay following 10am on a Friday in late January.

The woman later recalled that they were having fun when the kids “drifted further than intended”. The wind picked up, they dropped their paddles, and started drifting.

“It pretty much all became dangerous very, very quickly,” she remarked.

The mother also spoke of having to make “one of the hardest decisions” to instruct her son to swim to land.

“I knew he was the best swimmer and he had the ability to succeed,” she commented.

The Search Operation

The boy recalled being “very puffed out”.

“I just continued swimming, I do breaststroke, I do front crawl, I do elementary backstroke,” he explained.

The call for help was made at approximately 6pm.

At roughly 8.30pm, a full ten hours after they first departed, the group were located and saved. They had been carried about 9 miles out to sea.

The emergency call was shared with the parents' permission.

A forward commander who coordinated the rescue mission said the group was in an “incredibly perilous state”.

“They were in genuine danger, and time was extremely pressing given how long they had been in the water and with daylight fading.

“What the boy did was truly remarkable. His heroic actions in those conditions were remarkable, and his actions were instrumental in bringing about a positive result.”

The officer also commended how the teenager effectively communicated critical information.

When asked to identify the boards for the rescue team, the boy said: “They were a green and white colour.”

“And I’m not sure if it’s still on, but they had this fishing rod, and there was a fish hooked. Since we hooked one.”