13-year-old boy speaks out after swimming miles to save family stranded at sea

Austin swam about four miles in the ocean by himself to get help ashore.

A 13-year-old Australian boy is speaking out after swimming alone for four hours without a life jacket in order to get help for his mom and siblings, who were stranded at sea.

“I just said, ‘Not today, not today, not today. I have to keep on going,’” Austin Appelbee told Australia’s ABC News.

Austin, 13, recounts how he swam over two miles for four hours to get help for his mother and siblings who were stranded at sea.
ABC Australia

Austin and his family, including his mom Joanne Appelbee and his two younger siblings, said they were on a beach trip on Jan. 30 and had taken a kayak and two inflatable stand-up paddleboards out into the ocean. They said they had planned to stay out in the water for about an hour.

Initially, the family said the ocean was calm but then the weather suddenly changed and their kayak flipped over and started to take on water.

Joanne Appelbee credits her son Austin for helping to save her and his siblings.
ABC Australia

Appelbee said at first, she tried to tow the two paddleboards and her two younger children but after the kayak began filling with water, she decided to send Austin ahead and paddle to shore to get help.

“In the beginning, it was, ‘We’re going to be fine and Austin is going to make it back,’” Appelbee said. “As time went on, I was like, ‘Why haven’t I seen anyone come?’”

Camera footage from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority shows a rescue boat coming to the aid of the Appelbee family.
Australian Maritime Safety Authority

Austin, who first learned to swim at the age of 4, said he focused on happy thoughts like thinking about his family and friends and his favorite Thomas the Tank Engine character.

“I was just thinking in my head, like, thinking I was going to make it through. But I was also thinking about all my friends at school,” Austin recalled.

Austin said he initially started traveling to shore with the kayak but while fighting waves, he decided to abandon it and swim by himself.

“And then finally, I just made it to shore. I just collapsed,” he said.

After arriving on shore, Austin said he then had to run for another mile down the beach to get his family’s phone and call emergency services.

“He’s absolutely amazing,” Appelbee said of her 13-year-old son. “Me and his dad are super proud.”

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority responded to the incident and later provided camera footage of a rescue boat coming to the aid of the Appelbee family.