We Must Have a Helicopter to Go Find Them’: Teenager’s Distress Call to Aid Family Lost Off Aussie Coast Revealed

“We became disoriented out there,” the teenager informs the 000 call handler, after swimming four kilometres in choppy, the sea and jogging 2km to secure help for his family.

The operator questions how long has elapsed since he set off.

“[It] was a very long time ago … I think they’re a long way from land. I think we require a chopper to go find them,” he states.

Emergency services have released the recorded plea made previously after the teen departed from his relatives floating at sea off the WA coast to seek assistance.

His voice remains lucid and collected, even as he expresses his worry for his kin.

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

“Mum said to find rescue … We were in massive trouble.”

The Dangerous Incident

The mother and children had been swept 4km out to sea in stormy conditions while enjoying water sports.

His mother urged him to take his kayak and get assistance, so the youth set off, discarding first his failing kayak then his bulky flotation device to make the journey by swimming.

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

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

“I’m located on the beach right now, and I have to also mention – I think I need an medical help because I think I have hypothermia … I’m really, I’m completely exhausted. I have hyperthermia, and I feel like I’m about to pass out.”

A Holiday Turned Crisis

The family was on holiday in Quindalup, 200km south of Perth. They began their trip from Geographe Bay around 10am on a Friday in late January.

The mother later described that they were enjoying themselves when the kids “went out a bit too far”. 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 “an incredibly tough choice” to instruct her son to make the swim for help.

“I knew he was the most capable and he could do it,” she said.

The Search Operation

The teenager recalled being “extremely winded”.

“I just keep swimming, I do the breaststroke, I do front crawl, I do elementary backstroke,” he recalled.

The call for help was made at approximately 6pm.

At about 8.30pm, a full ten hours after they first set out, the stranded individuals were found and brought to safety. They had floated about 14km out to sea.

The recording was released with the parents' permission.

A forward commander who coordinated the rescue mission said the family was in an “desperately dangerous position”.

“They were in real trouble, and time was of the essence given how much time they had been in the water and with light running out.

“What the boy did was nothing short of extraordinary. His fortitude and resolve in those conditions were remarkable, and his actions were instrumental in bringing about a positive result.”

The officer also commended how the boy effectively communicated key facts.

When asked to identify the equipment for the rescue team, the boy said: “They were green and white.”

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