The 13-year-old Australian boy who swam for hours to get help for his family after they were swept out to sea has told the BBC 'I didn't think I was a hero - I just did what I did'. Austin Appelbee didn't know if his mother Joanne, brother Beau and sister Grace were still alive when he finally reached the shore, four hours after he left them in the water clinging to two paddleboards.
Miles out to sea off Australia's west coast - the waves getting bigger, the light beginning to fade - his mother feared he too may not have made it. Only hours later, after Joanne finally spotted the rescue boat, did she know he was safe. By that time she and the children had drifted 14km (8.5 miles) offshore.
What had started as a family day at the beach had ended in a 10-hour ordeal for Joanne and her family. Austin's swim to raise the alarm was later described as 'superhuman' by rescuers. 'I had assumed Austin hadn't made it,' Joanne, 47, told the BBC News channel. In the end though, 'it was an absolute perfect ending to have them all well and happy and sore but no injuries'.
The family had been due to head home to Perth last Friday and were having 'a bit of fun' with two paddleboards and a kayak in the shallow water off the beach, Joanne explained, when the children 'went out a bit too far'.
'Finding themselves drifting further and further out from Quindalup beach, Joanne realised she needed to do something - but she couldn't leave Beau, 12, and Grace, eight, alone. Early on, we sent this young man back in to try and get help because it didn't look like we were that far from the shoreline,' she said. Austin took the kayak, but no one realised it had been badly damaged and was already taking on water.
'It started flipping, and then I lost an oar and I knew I was in trouble,' he recalled. Clinging to the capsized kayak, Austin - who swears he 'saw something in the water' - realised he needed to do something. 'It was getting dangerous now - I had been out for a couple of hours.'
He had lost sight of his family, who had also lost sight of him. As Joanne and the children drifted further out to sea, the waves got bigger and bigger, making it harder to stay on the boards, while visibility had also got worse. They were all wearing life jackets - but they had no food or water. 'I had assumed Austin had made it a lot quicker than he had,' she said.
Throughout the next two hours, it was prayer, Christian songs and 'happy thoughts' which kept the 'really scared' 13-year-old going. 'I was thinking about mum, Beau and Grace. I was also thinking about my friends and my girlfriend - I have a really good bunch of friends,' he said.
It was about 18:00 local time (10:00 GMT) when he finally reached his mother's bag and rang for help. The call sparked a huge search, police said in a statement on Monday. Austin - who had passed out after making the call - was taken to hospital where he called his father, bawling his eyes out. He still didn't know if Joanne and his siblings were alive. Minutes later, he got a call to say they had been found. Everyone - doctors and police officers - were jumping up and down with joy.
Back on dry land, they were treated at the hospital for minor injuries. Austin has been back at school - albeit on crutches due to sore legs. Now, less than five days later, Austin is trying to process what happened and humility remains at the forefront of his reflections, as he insists he is no hero amidst the outpour of praise from the community.
Miles out to sea off Australia's west coast - the waves getting bigger, the light beginning to fade - his mother feared he too may not have made it. Only hours later, after Joanne finally spotted the rescue boat, did she know he was safe. By that time she and the children had drifted 14km (8.5 miles) offshore.
What had started as a family day at the beach had ended in a 10-hour ordeal for Joanne and her family. Austin's swim to raise the alarm was later described as 'superhuman' by rescuers. 'I had assumed Austin hadn't made it,' Joanne, 47, told the BBC News channel. In the end though, 'it was an absolute perfect ending to have them all well and happy and sore but no injuries'.
The family had been due to head home to Perth last Friday and were having 'a bit of fun' with two paddleboards and a kayak in the shallow water off the beach, Joanne explained, when the children 'went out a bit too far'.
'Finding themselves drifting further and further out from Quindalup beach, Joanne realised she needed to do something - but she couldn't leave Beau, 12, and Grace, eight, alone. Early on, we sent this young man back in to try and get help because it didn't look like we were that far from the shoreline,' she said. Austin took the kayak, but no one realised it had been badly damaged and was already taking on water.
'It started flipping, and then I lost an oar and I knew I was in trouble,' he recalled. Clinging to the capsized kayak, Austin - who swears he 'saw something in the water' - realised he needed to do something. 'It was getting dangerous now - I had been out for a couple of hours.'
He had lost sight of his family, who had also lost sight of him. As Joanne and the children drifted further out to sea, the waves got bigger and bigger, making it harder to stay on the boards, while visibility had also got worse. They were all wearing life jackets - but they had no food or water. 'I had assumed Austin had made it a lot quicker than he had,' she said.
Throughout the next two hours, it was prayer, Christian songs and 'happy thoughts' which kept the 'really scared' 13-year-old going. 'I was thinking about mum, Beau and Grace. I was also thinking about my friends and my girlfriend - I have a really good bunch of friends,' he said.
It was about 18:00 local time (10:00 GMT) when he finally reached his mother's bag and rang for help. The call sparked a huge search, police said in a statement on Monday. Austin - who had passed out after making the call - was taken to hospital where he called his father, bawling his eyes out. He still didn't know if Joanne and his siblings were alive. Minutes later, he got a call to say they had been found. Everyone - doctors and police officers - were jumping up and down with joy.
Back on dry land, they were treated at the hospital for minor injuries. Austin has been back at school - albeit on crutches due to sore legs. Now, less than five days later, Austin is trying to process what happened and humility remains at the forefront of his reflections, as he insists he is no hero amidst the outpour of praise from the community.
