‘We Need a Aircraft to Search For Them’: 13-Year-Old’s Distress Call to Aid Relatives Lost Off Down Under Coast Unveiled

“We became disoriented out there,” a 13-year-old boy tells the triple-zero dispatcher, having swum 4km in rough, open ocean and jogging 2km to get assistance for his family.

The call taker inquires how long has elapsed since he set off.

“[It] was a very long time ago … I think they’re a long way from land. I think we need a rescue aircraft to go find them,” he says.

Police have disclosed the recorded plea made last month after the youth left his loved ones adrift at sea off the WA coast to seek assistance.

His demeanour remains steady and composed, even as he voices his worry for his family members.

“I am unsure of what their state is right now, and I’m extremely frightened,” he informs the person on the line.

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

The Perilous Situation

The holidaymakers had been swept 2.5 miles out to sea in rough conditions while enjoying water sports.

His parent urged him to set out and get assistance, so the teenager began, abandoning first his failing kayak then his unwieldy PFD to cover the remaining stretch.

After getting to the beach – after an extensive period – he ran for two kilometres to retrieve a phone.

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

“I’m sitting on the beach right now, and I have to also explain – I think I need an paramedic because I think I have exposure … I’m really, I’m utterly fatigued. I have hyperthermia, and I feel like I’m about to pass out.”

A Getaway in Peril

The group was on vacation in Quindalup, 125 miles 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 playing around when the young ones “drifted further than intended”. The conditions worsened, they lost their oars, and started being carried out.

“It kind of all became dangerous very, very quickly,” she remarked.

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

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

The Rescue Effort

The boy explained being “very puffed out”.

“I just pressed on, I do the breaststroke, I do freestyle, I do survival backstroke,” he explained.

The distress call was made at approximately 6pm.

At roughly 8.30pm, ten hours after they first set out, the stranded individuals were found and brought to safety. They had floated about 14km out to sea.

The recording was released with the parents' permission.

A police sergeant who oversaw the operation said the group was in an “extremely dire situation”.

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

“What the boy did was incredibly brave. His heroic actions in those conditions were exceptional, and his actions were instrumental in bringing about a rescue.”

The sergeant also commended how the youth calmly conveyed critical information.

When asked to identify the boards for the authorities, the boy responded: “They were a green and white colour.”

“And I’m not sure if it’s there, but they had this fishing rod, and there was a fish on there. Because we caught one.”