We Must Have a Helicopter to Locate Them’: 13-Year-Old’s Urgent Plea to Save Relatives Adrift Off Aussie Coast Unveiled

“We ended up adrift out there,” a 13-year-old boy tells the triple-zero dispatcher, having swum 4km in treacherous, open water and sprinting two kilometres to summon rescue for his kin.

The operator questions how long has gone by since he began.

“[It] was a very long time ago … I think they’re kilometres out to sea. I think we must get a rescue aircraft to search for them,” he reports.

Emergency services have disclosed the recorded plea made in recent weeks after the teen left his loved ones floating at sea off the West Australian coast to find rescuers.

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

“I don’t know what their state is right now, and I’m terrified,” he tells the dispatcher.

“Mum said to seek assistance … We were in massive trouble.”

The Dangerous Incident

The family group had been carried 4km out to sea in treacherous conditions while using kayaks and paddleboards.

His mother instructed him to use his craft and get assistance, so the youth began, discarding first his sinking craft then his cumbersome lifejacket to make the journey by swimming.

After getting to the beach – after an extensive period – he sprinted for two kilometres to retrieve a phone.

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

“I’m located on the beach right now, and I have to also add – I think I need an paramedic because I think I have hypothermia … I’m really, I’m extremely tired. I have sunstroke, and I feel like I’m about to faint.”

A Holiday Turned Crisis

The group was on vacation in Quindalup, 125 miles south of Perth. They departed from Geographe Bay some time after 10am on a Friday in late January.

The mother later recalled that they were having fun when the children “drifted further than intended”. The conditions worsened, they dropped their paddles, and started floating away.

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

The parent also referenced having to make “a terribly difficult call” to instruct her son to make the swim for help.

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

The Successful Mission

The boy recalled being “extremely winded”.

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

The emergency call was made at about 6pm.

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

The audio was made public with the parents' permission.

A forward commander who oversaw the search and rescue effort said the group 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 night approaching.

“What the teenager did was truly remarkable. His heroic actions in those conditions were exceptional, and his actions were crucial in bringing about a positive result.”

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

When asked to describe the paddleboards for the rescue team, the teenager said: “They were green and white.”

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