‘We Need a Chopper to Locate Them’: Teenager’s Urgent Plea to Save Loved Ones Lost Off Aussie Coast Disclosed

“We became disoriented out there,” the teenager tells the 000 call handler, having swum 4km in treacherous, open water and sprinting two kilometres to summon rescue for his family.

The call taker questions how much time has elapsed since he started out.

“[It] was a very long time ago … I think they’re a long way from land. I think we need a helicopter to search for them,” he reports.

Authorities have released the recorded plea made previously after the youth departed from his relatives drifting at sea off the Western Australian coast to find rescuers.

His tone remains steady and composed, even as he voices his fear for his family members.

“I don’t know what their status is right now, and I’m terrified,” he informs the person on the line.

“Mum said to find rescue … We were in serious danger.”

The Harrowing Ordeal

The holidaymakers had been pulled four kilometres out to sea in treacherous conditions while kayaking and paddleboarding.

His parent instructed him to set out and get assistance, so the youth set off, abandoning first his sinking craft then his unwieldy PFD to swim the distance.

After getting to the beach – after an extensive period – he raced for 1.25 miles to get to a phone.

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

“I’m positioned on the beach right now, and I have to also explain – I think I need an medical help because I think I have exposure … I’m really, I’m extremely tired. I have hyperthermia, and I feel like I’m about to collapse.”

A Vacation Gone Wrong

The holidaymakers was on holiday in Quindalup, 125 miles south of Perth. They departed from Geographe Bay around 10am on a Friday in late January.

The parent later recalled that they were playing around when the kids “drifted further than intended”. The breeze strengthened, they dropped their paddles, and started drifting.

“It sort of all went wrong very, very quickly,” she remarked.

The parent also described having to make “an incredibly tough choice” to instruct her son to swim ashore.

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

The Search Operation

The teenager described being “completely out of breath”.

“I just keep swimming, I do the breaststroke, I do front crawl, I do survival backstroke,” he said.

The emergency call was made at around 6pm.

At roughly 8.30pm, ten hours after they first set out, the group were located and saved. They had been carried about 9 miles out to sea.

The emergency call was made public with the family’s permission.

A forward commander who oversaw the operation said the family was in an “incredibly perilous state”.

“They were in real trouble, and time was of the essence given how long they had been in the water and with daylight fading.

“What the boy did was truly remarkable. His bravery and courage in those conditions were remarkable, and his actions were instrumental in bringing about a positive result.”

The officer also highlighted how the youth calmly conveyed vital details.

When asked to detail the boards for the authorities, the youth responded: “They were coloured 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 hooked one.”