‘We Need a Aircraft to Locate Them’: 13-Year-Old’s Emergency Call to Aid Loved Ones Adrift Off Aussie Coast Disclosed

“We became disoriented out there,” the teenager tells the emergency operator, after swimming 2.5 miles in choppy, open water and jogging two kilometres to get assistance for his household.

The dispatcher questions how long has passed since he started out.

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

Emergency services have disclosed the emergency phone call made in recent weeks after the teen departed from his loved ones adrift at sea off the Western Australian coast to seek assistance.

His voice remains clear and calm, even as he expresses his concern for his kin.

“I have no idea about what their state is right now, and I’m really scared,” he tells the person on the line.

“Mum said to seek assistance … We were in grave peril.”

The Dangerous Incident

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

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

After reaching land – after an extensive period – he raced for 2km to get to a cell phone.

“Hello, my name is Austin … I have two 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 mention – I think I need an ambulance because I think I have a dangerously low body temperature … I’m really, I’m extremely tired. I have hyperthermia, and I feel like I’m about to pass out.”

A Getaway in Peril

The holidaymakers was on a break in Quindalup, 200km south of Perth. They set off from Geographe Bay around 10am on a Friday in late January.

The mother later described that they were having fun when the kids “drifted further than intended”. The conditions worsened, they were separated from their equipment, and started being carried out.

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

The mother also described having to make “a terribly difficult call” to send her son to swim to land.

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

The Successful Mission

The youth described being “extremely winded”.

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

The call for help was made at about 6pm.

At roughly 8.30pm, many hours after they first began, the stranded individuals were found and brought to safety. They had drifted about fourteen kilometres out to sea.

The audio was released with the parents' permission.

A forward commander who managed the operation said the group was in an “desperately dangerous position”.

“They were in genuine danger, and time was extremely pressing given how long they had been in the water and with night approaching.

“What Austin did was nothing short of extraordinary. His heroic actions in those conditions were remarkable, and his actions were pivotal in bringing about a successful outcome.”

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

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

“And I’m not sure if it’s still attached, but they had this fishing rod, and there was a fish hooked. As we hooked one.”