General · 3 February 2026
Boy 13 swims 4km saving family swept 14km out to sea
13-year-old Austin Appelbee heroically swam 4 kilometers through rough seas to save his family swept offshore in Western Australia. Battling waves for four hours without a life jacket, Austin reached Quindalup beach to raise the alarm at 6 p.m. Police helicopters subsequently located the drifting family 14 kilometers out to sea after a terrifying 10-hour ordeal. Authorities praised the teen's "superhuman" determination which rescued his mother Joanne, 47, and siblings aged 12 and 8.
Reported by BBC · How we write briefs