We Require a Chopper to Locate Them’: Teenager’s Distress Call to Save Loved Ones Adrift Off Australian Coast Revealed

“We became disoriented out there,” a 13-year-old boy tells the triple-zero dispatcher, having swum four kilometres in rough, open ocean and sprinting two kilometres to get assistance for his family.

The operator inquires how long has passed since he started out.

“[It] was a very long time ago … I think they’re a long way from land. I think we require a chopper to search for them,” he says.

Emergency services have made public the recorded plea made previously after the teen left his relatives drifting at sea off the WA coast to seek assistance.

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

“I have no idea about what their status is right now, and I’m really scared,” he confides in the dispatcher.

“Mum said to find rescue … We were in grave peril.”

The Harrowing Ordeal

The family group had been swept four kilometres out to sea in rough conditions while enjoying water sports.

His parent instructed him to set out and locate rescue, so the boy set off, ditching first his sinking craft then his unwieldy PFD to swim the distance.

After making it to shore – following a four-hour swim – he ran for 1.25 miles to get to a cell phone.

“Hello, my name is Austin … I have two siblings, Beau and Grace. Beau is 12 and Grace is eight,” he states the operator.

“I’m located on the beach right now, and I have to also mention – I think I need an ambulance because I think I have hypothermia … I’m really, I’m utterly fatigued. I have heatstroke, and I feel like I’m about to collapse.”

A Getaway in Peril

The holidaymakers was on a break in Quindalup, 200km south of Perth. They departed from Geographe Bay some time after 10am on a Friday in late January.

The mother later explained that they were playing around when the children “drifted further than intended”. The breeze strengthened, they dropped their paddles, and started being carried out.

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

The parent also described having to make “one of the hardest decisions” to ask her son to swim ashore.

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

The Successful Mission

The youth explained being “completely out of breath”.

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

The call for help was made at approximately 6pm.

At around 8.30pm, ten hours after they first set out, the stranded individuals were located and saved. They had drifted about 9 miles out to sea.

The audio was made public with the parents' permission.

A forward commander who oversaw the rescue mission said the family was in an “desperately dangerous position”.

“They were in genuine danger, and time was extremely pressing given how long they had been in the water and with light running out.

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

The officer also commended how the boy calmly conveyed vital details.

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

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