We Require a Chopper to Locate Them’: Adolescent’s Distress Call to Aid Family Adrift Off Aussie Coast Revealed

“We became disoriented out there,” a 13-year-old boy explains to the 000 call handler, having swum 2.5 miles in rough, open water and running two kilometres to summon rescue for his family.

The call taker asks how long has elapsed since he set off.

“[It] was quite some time back … I think they’re far offshore. I think we require a helicopter to search for them,” he reports.

Emergency services have released the emergency phone call made last month after the youth departed from his loved ones floating at sea off the WA coast to find rescuers.

His tone remains steady and composed, even as he expresses his concern for his family members.

“I don’t know what their state is right now, and I’m terrified,” he tells the person on the line.

“Mum said to find rescue … We were in massive trouble.”

The Perilous Situation

The mother and children had been carried 2.5 miles out to sea in treacherous conditions while kayaking and paddleboarding.

His parent asked him to take his kayak and locate rescue, so the boy began, ditching first his sinking craft then his unwieldy PFD to cover the remaining stretch.

After getting to the beach – following a four-hour swim – he raced for 1.25 miles to retrieve a phone.

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

“I’m positioned on the beach right now, and I have to also add – I think I need an paramedic because I think I have hypothermia … I’m really, I’m completely exhausted. I have sunstroke, and I feel like I’m about to faint.”

A Vacation Gone Wrong

The group was on vacation in Quindalup, 125 miles south of Perth. They began their trip from Geographe Bay following 10am on a Friday in late January.

The mother later described that they were playing around when the kids “drifted further than intended”. The wind picked up, they lost their oars, and started being carried out.

“It kind of all went wrong very, very quickly,” she remarked.

The parent also referenced having to make “one of the hardest decisions” to send her son to make the swim for help.

“I knew he was the best swimmer and he could do it,” she said.

The Successful Mission

The boy recalled being “completely out of breath”.

“I just keep swimming, I do breaststroke, I do freestyle, I do elementary backstroke,” he explained.

The distress call was made at about 6pm.

At roughly 8.30pm, ten hours after they first departed, the family were found and brought to safety. They had floated about fourteen kilometres out to sea.

The recording was shared with the mother’s permission.

A senior officer who oversaw the search and rescue effort said the group was in an “desperately dangerous position”.

“They were in real trouble, and time was absolutely critical given how much time they had been in the water and with night approaching.

“What the boy did was incredibly brave. His bravery and courage in those conditions were astonishing, and his actions were crucial in bringing about a positive result.”

The sergeant also commended how the boy clearly relayed vital details.

When asked to describe the equipment for the authorities, the teenager responded: “They were a green and white colour.”

“And I’m not sure if it’s still on, but they had this rod, and there was a fish on there. Because we managed to catch a fish.”