A 13-year-old Australian boy has been hailed a hero an epic swim that saved his family. The boy, Austin Appelbee, and his family were a beach holiday Western Australia. They were kayaking and paddleboarding shallow water when strong winds pushed them farther offshore. They ended over four kilometres away land, and the daylight was fading. Austin decided to kayak to shore to get help. However, the waves had damaged his kayak, which had taken water and flipped . He said he then lost an oar and knew he was trouble. He decided he had no alternative but to swim back to land. He swam shark-frequented waters to raise the alarm.
Austin made it to the beach and phoned help. This sparked a huge rescue operation, which resulted coastguards finding the teenager's mother and two younger sisters. The boy said: "I hit the bottom the beach and I just collapsed, and then, after that, I had to sprint two kilometres to get to the phone." Rescuers called his efforts "superhuman". One rescuer said Austin's actions could not "be praised highly enough". He added that the teenager's "determination and courage ultimately saved the lives his mother and siblings". Austin's mother Joanne, 47, told reporters: "The wind picked . We lost oars, and we drifted further. It was an absolute nightmare."
