We Require a Helicopter to Search For Them’: 13-Year-Old’s Emergency Call to Save Relatives Adrift Off Aussie Coast Disclosed

“We became disoriented out there,” the teenager explains to the triple-zero dispatcher, following a swim 2.5 miles in rough, the sea and jogging 1.25 miles to summon rescue for his family.

The operator questions how much time has gone by since he set off.

“[It] was ages past … I think they’re far offshore. I think we need a rescue aircraft to locate them,” he states.

Authorities have released the emergency phone call made last month after the youth departed from his family floating at sea off the WA coast to fetch help.

His tone remains lucid and collected, even as he expresses his concern for his kin.

“I am unsure of what their status is right now, and I’m really scared,” he informs the dispatcher.

“Mum said go get help … We were in massive trouble.”

The Harrowing Ordeal

The family group had been swept 2.5 miles out to sea in rough conditions while using kayaks and paddleboards.

His parent urged him to take his kayak and find help, so the boy commenced, abandoning first his failing kayak then his cumbersome lifejacket to swim the distance.

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

“Hello, my name is Austin … I have a brother and sister, Beau and Grace. Beau is 12 and Grace is eight,” he explains the operator.

“I’m positioned on the beach right now, and I have to also add – I think I need an ambulance because I think I have exposure … I’m really, I’m completely exhausted. I have hyperthermia, and I feel like I’m about to faint.”

A Getaway in Peril

The family was on holiday in Quindalup, 125 miles south of Perth. They began their trip 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 “drifted further than intended”. The wind picked up, they lost their oars, and started drifting.

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

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

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

The Rescue Effort

The teenager recalled being “extremely winded”.

“I just continued swimming, I do the breaststroke, I do front crawl, I do elementary backstroke,” he explained.

The emergency call was made at about 6pm.

At about 8.30pm, ten hours after they first set out, the family were spotted and rescued. They had floated about 14km out to sea.

The audio was shared with the parents' permission.

A police sergeant who oversaw the operation said the family was in an “desperately dangerous position”.

“They were in serious jeopardy, and time was absolutely critical given how much time they had been in the water and with daylight fading.

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

The commander also praised how the boy clearly relayed critical information.

When asked to identify the paddleboards for the rescue team, the youth said: “They were a green and white colour.”

“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.”