‘We Need a Helicopter to Go Find Them’: 13-Year-Old’s Urgent Plea to Aid Relatives Lost Off Down Under Coast Disclosed

“We got lost out there,” the teenager informs the emergency operator, after swimming 2.5 miles in choppy, the sea and running 1.25 miles to summon rescue for his kin.

The call taker asks how long has passed since he began.

“[It] was a very long time ago … I think they’re a long way from land. I think we must get a rescue aircraft to search for them,” he states.

Police have made public the recorded plea made last month after the youth departed from his loved ones drifting at sea off the West Australian coast to seek assistance.

His demeanour remains clear and calm, even as he details his fear for his family.

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

“Mum said go get help … We were in massive trouble.”

The Dangerous Incident

The family group had been carried 4km out to sea in stormy conditions while enjoying water sports.

His parent urged him to use his craft and find help, so the boy set off, abandoning first his waterlogged vessel then his bulky flotation device to cover the remaining stretch.

After getting to the beach – after an extensive period – he sprinted for 1.25 miles to retrieve a mobile phone.

“Hello, my name is Austin … I have a brother and sister, Beau and Grace. Beau is 12 and Grace is eight,” he tells the emergency services.

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

A Vacation Gone Wrong

The group was on holiday in Quindalup, 200km south of Perth. They set off from Geographe Bay some time after 10am on a Friday in late January.

The parent later explained that they were enjoying themselves when the children “ventured out too far”. The breeze strengthened, they were separated from their equipment, and started being carried out.

“It pretty much all turned bad very, very quickly,” she remarked.

The parent also spoke of having to make “a terribly difficult call” to instruct her son to swim ashore.

“I knew he was the most capable and he was able to manage it,” she commented.

The Rescue Effort

The boy described being “extremely winded”.

“I just keep swimming, I do the breaststroke, I do front crawl, I do a floating stroke,” he said.

The emergency call was made at about 6pm.

At roughly 8.30pm, many hours after they first departed, the stranded individuals were found and brought to safety. They had drifted about fourteen kilometres out to sea.

The audio was shared with the family’s permission.

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

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

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

The commander also highlighted how the teenager clearly relayed critical information.

When asked to identify the paddleboards for the authorities, the teenager replied: “They were green and white.”

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