‘We Need a Chopper to Go Find Them’: Teenager’s Distress Call to Aid Loved Ones Adrift Off Australian Coast Disclosed

“We became disoriented out there,” a 13-year-old boy tells the emergency operator, having swum 2.5 miles in choppy, open ocean and jogging 2km to summon rescue for his kin.

The operator inquires how long has passed since he began.

“[It] was a very long time ago … I think they’re far offshore. I think we need a rescue aircraft to search for them,” he reports.

Emergency services have disclosed the distress call made in recent weeks after the teen left his family drifting at sea off the West Australian coast to find rescuers.

His demeanour remains steady and composed, even as he voices his concern for his kin.

“I am unsure of what their state is right now, and I’m really scared,” he tells the operator.

“Mum said to find rescue … We were in serious danger.”

The Perilous Situation

The holidaymakers had been swept 4km out to sea in stormy conditions while kayaking and paddleboarding.

His parent instructed him to set out and locate rescue, so the youth began, ditching first his sinking craft then his bulky flotation device to cover the remaining stretch.

After reaching land – four hours later – he ran for 1.25 miles to retrieve a phone.

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

“I’m sitting on the beach right now, and I have to also mention – I think I need an medical help because I think I have exposure … I’m really, I’m completely exhausted. I have heatstroke, and I feel like I’m about to faint.”

A Vacation Gone Wrong

The family 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 woman later described that they were playing around when the kids “went out a bit too far”. The breeze strengthened, they lost their oars, and started floating away.

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

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

“I knew he was the strongest and he could do it,” she stated.

The Search Operation

The boy described being “extremely winded”.

“I just continued swimming, I do breaststroke, I do freestyle, I do survival backstroke,” he recalled.

The emergency call was made at approximately 6pm.

At around 8.30pm, a full ten hours after they first departed, the group were spotted and rescued. They had been carried about fourteen kilometres out to sea.

The recording was shared with the mother’s permission.

A forward commander who coordinated the search and rescue effort said the family was in an “extremely dire situation”.

“They were in serious jeopardy, and time was of the essence given how much time they had been in the water and with light running out.

“What the teenager did was nothing short of extraordinary. His bravery and courage in those conditions were exceptional, and his actions were instrumental in bringing about a successful outcome.”

The commander also highlighted how the teenager clearly relayed key facts.

When asked to identify the paddleboards for the search crew, the youth 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. As we caught one.”