We Require a Chopper to Go Find Them’: 13-Year-Old’s Emergency Call to Aid Loved Ones Stranded Off Aussie Coast Revealed

“We got lost out there,” a 13-year-old boy explains to the emergency operator, having swum 2.5 miles in rough, the sea and running two kilometres to summon rescue for his kin.

The dispatcher inquires how long has passed since he set off.

“[It] was quite some time back … I think they’re a long way from land. I think we must get a rescue aircraft to go find them,” he states.

Emergency services have disclosed the emergency phone call made previously after the youth left his relatives floating at sea off the WA coast to find rescuers.

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

“I don’t know what their condition is right now, and I’m extremely frightened,” he confides in the operator.

“Mum said go get help … We were in serious danger.”

The Perilous Situation

The holidaymakers had been pulled 4km out to sea in treacherous conditions while using kayaks and paddleboards.

His mother asked him to take his kayak and find help, so the teenager commenced, discarding first his sinking craft then his bulky flotation device to cover the remaining stretch.

After reaching land – 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 sitting on the beach right now, and I have to also add – I think I need an paramedic because I think I have exposure … I’m really, I’m utterly fatigued. I have heatstroke, and I feel like I’m about to collapse.”

A Getaway in Peril

The family was on vacation in Quindalup, 200km south of Perth. They began their trip from Geographe Bay around 10am on a Friday in late January.

The parent later explained that they were having fun when the children “drifted further than intended”. The conditions worsened, they dropped their paddles, and started drifting.

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

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

“I knew he was the most capable and he could do it,” she stated.

The Rescue Effort

The boy described being “very puffed out”.

“I just continued swimming, I do breaststroke, I do front crawl, I do a floating stroke,” he recalled.

The emergency call was made at approximately 6pm.

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

The audio was released with the mother’s permission.

A senior officer who managed the operation said the group was in an “desperately dangerous position”.

“They were in serious jeopardy, and time was absolutely critical given how long they had been in the water and with night approaching.

“What the teenager did was incredibly brave. His bravery and courage in those conditions were remarkable, and his actions were crucial in bringing about a successful outcome.”

The commander also praised how the boy calmly conveyed critical information.

When asked to describe the boards for the search crew, the boy said: “They were green and white.”

“And I’m not sure if it’s there, but they had this rod, and there was a catch on the line. As we hooked one.”