‘We Need a Helicopter to Go Find Them’: Adolescent’s Urgent Plea to Save Family Stranded Off Aussie Coast Unveiled

“We became disoriented out there,” a 13-year-old boy explains to the emergency operator, following a swim 4km in choppy, open water and sprinting two kilometres to summon rescue for his family.

The call taker inquires how much time has gone by since he began.

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

Authorities have disclosed the emergency phone call made last month after the teen departed from his family adrift at sea off the Western Australian coast to find rescuers.

His demeanour remains lucid and collected, even as he details his concern for his kin.

“I have no idea about what their state is right now, and I’m extremely frightened,” he confides in the operator.

“Mum said to find rescue … We were in grave peril.”

The Dangerous Incident

The family group had been swept four kilometres out to sea in treacherous conditions while using kayaks and paddleboards.

His parent urged him to use his craft and find help, so the teenager began, ditching first his failing kayak then his unwieldy PFD to make the journey by swimming.

After getting to the beach – following a four-hour swim – he sprinted for 1.25 miles to get to a mobile phone.

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

“I’m positioned on the beach right now, and I have to also mention – I think I need an ambulance because I think I have a dangerously low body temperature … I’m really, I’m utterly fatigued. I have hyperthermia, and I feel like I’m about to collapse.”

A Vacation Gone Wrong

The holidaymakers was on vacation in Quindalup, two hundred kilometres south of Perth. They began their trip from Geographe Bay following 10am on a Friday in late January.

The woman later recalled that they were having fun when the kids “drifted further than intended”. The wind picked up, they lost their oars, and started being carried out.

“It kind of all turned bad very, very quickly,” she said.

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

“I knew he was the best swimmer and he could do it,” she said.

The Rescue Effort

The teenager explained being “very puffed out”.

“I just continued swimming, I do the breaststroke, I do freestyle, I do a floating stroke,” he explained.

The call for help was made at about 6pm.

At roughly 8.30pm, a full ten hours after they first departed, the group were found and brought to safety. They had been carried about fourteen kilometres out to sea.

The audio was released with the family’s permission.

A forward commander who coordinated the search and rescue effort said the group was in an “desperately dangerous position”.

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

“What the boy did was incredibly brave. His bravery and courage in those conditions were remarkable, and his actions were crucial in bringing about a successful outcome.”

The sergeant also highlighted how the youth effectively communicated critical information.

When asked to describe the equipment for the authorities, the youth said: “They were green and white.”

“And I’m not sure if it’s still on, but they had this rod, and there was a catch on the line. As we hooked one.”