‘We Need a Helicopter to Search For Them’: Teenager’s Distress Call to Rescue Family Lost Off Aussie Coast Revealed

“We became disoriented out there,” a 13-year-old boy explains to the triple-zero dispatcher, following a swim 2.5 miles in choppy, open water and jogging 1.25 miles to summon rescue for his kin.

The dispatcher asks how much time has elapsed since he set off.

“[It] was a very long time ago … I think they’re far offshore. I think we require a chopper to locate them,” he states.

Emergency services have made public the recorded plea made in recent weeks after the boy left his loved ones adrift at sea off the West Australian coast to seek assistance.

His tone remains lucid and collected, even as he expresses his fear for his family members.

“I don’t know what their state 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 holidaymakers had been pulled 4km out to sea in stormy conditions while kayaking and paddleboarding.

His mother asked him to set out and get assistance, so the teenager set off, abandoning first his waterlogged vessel then his cumbersome lifejacket to swim the distance.

After making it to shore – after an extensive period – he sprinted for 1.25 miles to get to a cell phone.

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

“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 exposure … I’m really, I’m completely exhausted. I have sunstroke, and I feel like I’m about to faint.”

A Vacation Gone Wrong

The holidaymakers was on vacation in Quindalup, 200km south of Perth. They began their trip from Geographe Bay around 10am on a Friday in late January.

The mother later recalled that they were playing around when the young ones “went out a bit too far”. The conditions worsened, they were separated from their equipment, and started floating away.

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

The parent also described having to make “a terribly difficult call” to send her son to swim ashore.

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

The Search Operation

The boy recalled being “extremely winded”.

“I just pressed on, I do breaststroke, I do front crawl, I do a floating stroke,” he said.

The call for help was made at about 6pm.

At around 8.30pm, many hours after they first set out, the stranded individuals were spotted and rescued. They had drifted about fourteen kilometres out to sea.

The emergency call was released with the mother’s permission.

A forward commander who coordinated the rescue mission said the group was in an “incredibly perilous state”.

“They were in serious jeopardy, and time was of the essence given how long they had been in the water and with daylight fading.

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

The sergeant also praised how the teenager effectively communicated critical information.

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

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