‘We Need a Helicopter to Locate Them’: Adolescent’s Urgent Plea to Save Loved Ones Stranded Off Australian Coast Revealed

“We became disoriented out there,” the teenager informs the 000 call handler, after swimming four kilometres in rough, the sea and jogging two kilometres to summon rescue for his kin.

The dispatcher asks how long has elapsed since he started out.

“[It] was quite some time back … I think they’re kilometres out to sea. I think we require a chopper to locate them,” he says.

Authorities have disclosed the emergency phone call made in recent weeks after the youth left his loved ones floating at sea off the Western Australian coast to seek assistance.

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

“I don’t know what their state is right now, and I’m terrified,” he tells the dispatcher.

“Mum said go get help … We were in grave peril.”

The Dangerous Incident

The mother and children had been swept four kilometres out to sea in rough conditions while kayaking and paddleboarding.

His mum urged him to take his kayak and get assistance, so the teenager set off, ditching first his waterlogged vessel then his unwieldy PFD to make the journey by swimming.

After making it to shore – after an extensive period – he ran for 2km to retrieve a phone.

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

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

A Vacation Gone Wrong

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

The woman later described that they were having fun when the kids “went out a bit too far”. The wind picked up, they lost their oars, and started drifting.

“It pretty much all went wrong very, very quickly,” she noted.

The parent also spoke of having to make “one of the hardest decisions” to send her son to swim to land.

“I knew he was the most capable and he had the ability to succeed,” she stated.

The Search Operation

The teenager recalled being “very puffed out”.

“I just pressed on, I do breaststroke, I do front crawl, I do elementary backstroke,” he recalled.

The distress call was made at about 6pm.

At about 8.30pm, a full ten hours after they first departed, the stranded individuals were spotted and rescued. They had floated about 9 miles out to sea.

The emergency call was made public with the parents' permission.

A forward commander who coordinated the rescue mission said the family 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 light running out.

“What the boy did was nothing short of extraordinary. His bravery and courage in those conditions were astonishing, and his actions were crucial in bringing about a positive result.”

The commander also praised how the youth clearly relayed key facts.

When asked to detail the boards for the search crew, the youth said: “They were a green and white colour.”

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