‘We Need a Chopper to Go Find Them’: Adolescent’s Emergency Call to Aid Relatives Stranded Off Down Under Coast Revealed

“We got lost out there,” the teenager informs the emergency operator, following a swim four kilometres in rough, open water and jogging two kilometres to summon rescue for his family.

The call taker asks how much time has elapsed since he set off.

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

Authorities have disclosed the recorded plea made in recent weeks after the youth left his relatives floating at sea off the WA coast to fetch help.

His tone remains clear and calm, even as he expresses his concern for his family.

“I have no idea about what their condition is right now, and I’m really scared,” he tells the dispatcher.

“Mum said go get help … We were in massive trouble.”

The Harrowing Ordeal

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

His mother asked him to set out and locate rescue, so the teenager began, discarding first his sinking craft then his cumbersome lifejacket to make the journey by swimming.

After reaching land – following a four-hour swim – he sprinted for 2km to access a phone.

“Hello, my name is Austin … I have a brother and sister, Beau and Grace. Beau is 12 and Grace is eight,” he tells the call handler.

“I’m positioned on the beach right now, and I have to also add – I think I need an ambulance because I think I have hypothermia … I’m really, I’m extremely tired. I have sunstroke, and I feel like I’m about to pass out.”

A Getaway in Peril

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

The woman later explained that they were enjoying themselves when the children “went out a bit too far”. The breeze strengthened, they were separated from their equipment, and started being carried out.

“It kind of all went wrong very, very quickly,” she said.

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

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

The Successful Mission

The teenager recalled being “very puffed out”.

“I just keep swimming, I do the breaststroke, I do front crawl, I do a floating stroke,” he explained.

The distress call was made at around 6pm.

At around 8.30pm, a full ten hours after they first departed, the family were located and saved. They had floated about fourteen kilometres out to sea.

The audio was shared with the parents' permission.

A police sergeant who oversaw the search and rescue effort said the family was in an “extremely dire situation”.

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

“What the teenager did was truly remarkable. His bravery and courage in those conditions were remarkable, and his actions were pivotal in bringing about a successful outcome.”

The commander also praised how the teenager clearly relayed critical information.

When asked to identify the paddleboards for the search crew, the teenager replied: “They were a green and white colour.”

“And I’m not sure if it’s there, but they had this rod, and there was a catch on the line. Since we managed to catch a fish.”