Austin Appelbee is The Great Australian Blog’s first Great Australian. He is the boy who swam to save his family. This young hero swam four kilometres followed by a two-kilometre run to sound the alarm for his mum, 12-year-old brother and 8-year-old sister who had been swept out to sea hours earlier.

God never uses anyone until he tests them deeply. A.W. Tozer

A Holiday Austin Appelbee Will Never Forget

It all began on the last day of a family holiday. The Appelbee family decided to hire a kayak and two paddleboards for a final play in the ocean before heading home.

Despite conditions being calm it didn’t take long for the wind to lift and the current to begin taking the family out to sea. Despite the boys taking turns to drag them back to shore, it soon became apparent that it was just too difficult. This was when Mum, Joanne, had to make the heart wrenching decision to ask Austin if he would head solo back to the shore to get help.  

In true viking style, and living up to his ancestral name, he accepted the challenge.

Swimming to Save his Family

Austin battled for 2 hours with the kayak taking on water. He was thrown into the sea what felt like a million times. At times it felt like he wasn’t alone in the water as a dark figure loomed close by.

Ditching the kayak to speed things up, the life jacket soon followed. Speed was imperative and both were slowing him down.

Despite having recently failed a 350metre swimming assessment, Austin swam knowing his family’s life depended on it. He was comforted by his faith in God, promising to get baptised if he survived. He sang songs, tried to think happy thoughts as he varied his swim style to keep going.

Four hours after leaving his family to drift in the sea, he arrived on the beach 2km from the motel they’d been staying in. With an heroic last burst of energy he ran the last leg of his amazing feat before using his mum’s phone to call for help. ‘I need helicopters, I need planes, I need boats. My family’s out at sea’.

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Ocean Rescue

Fourteen kilometres offshore, Joanne had been trying to keep Beau and Grace entertained by singing and making jokes. As darkness began to settle in and the effects of the cold water were getting worse, Joanne feared Austin hadn’t made it to shore and worried they would never be rescued.

In breathtakingly good time a helicopter spotted the trio, moments before a huge wave swept the three of them apart.

For a few minutes Joanne could only hear the voice of her daughter Gracie. As a boat came to her rescue, she screamed that her two children were floating  in the murky water.

Finally hearing her son call her name, she described the sound of Beau’s voice as the ‘best feeling ever’, as he called out to his mum.

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Back on Land

Back on land Austin was sure he’d taken too long and his family were gone. The call to say that they’d been rescued was at first met with disbelief. Relief soon followed.

After the family were assessed at Busselton Medical Campus, it was found that blisters, swelling and muscle fatigue were the extent of their injuries. Austin was feeling well enough to head off to school the following Monday – albeit in a wheelchair.

The Boy Who Swam to Save his Family

The Austin Appelbee rescue story will go down as one of the most miraculous rescue stories Australia has ever had.  In the freezing waters of the Indian Ocean, the strength each family member drew upon revealed the depth of their resilience.

Well done to Austin though. He was the one who had to set off alone, make life and death decisions before running the final leg of the journey to call for help. He did it all without bravado and thought for self. He is a humble hero who has definitely earned the privilege to be called a Great Australian.