A family outing in Geographe Bay turned into a harrowing ordeal when 16-year-old Austin Appelbee and his family faced treacherous waters during a paddleboarding and kayaking trip. The adventure took a dangerous turn on Friday evening near Quindalup, as rough seas swept them away from the shore around 6 p.m. AWST.

When his mother and two younger siblings, aged 12 and eight, found themselves stranded, Austin bravely decided to swim to safety and seek help. “I did breaststroke, I did freestyle, I did survival backstroke,” the teen recounted about his desperate swim to reach the beach.

Upon finally touching the shore, Austin was exhausted but knew the urgency of the situation. Summoning his remaining strength, he sprinted two kilometers to find a phone and alert emergency services.

Meanwhile, Austin’s mother, Joanne Appelbee, and his siblings clung to a paddleboard, enduring nearly 10 hours adrift in the water before they were located by rescuers. Their ordeal ended with a trip to Busselton Health Campus, where they were treated and have since recovered.

Austin’s mum Joanne Appelbee and siblings, aged 12 and eight, were found by emergency services clinging to a paddleboard after spending nearly 10 hours in the water.

The trio were taken to Busselton Health Campus and have since recovered.

Joanne said all her children learned to swim at a young age and encouraged other families to do the same.

“There’s no bigger word to describe him other than proud,” she said.

“I’m speechless at his efforts, but at the same time, I knew he could do it. ”

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