In brief
In a remarkable act of bravery, a 13-year-old boy swam 4km through rough waters to alert authorities after his mother and siblings became stranded at sea in Geographe Bay. The family had been paddleboarding when they were pushed off course by strong winds. Despite facing challenging conditions, the boy's determination led to a multi-agency rescue operation, ultimately saving his family from a life-threatening situation.
A 13-year-old boy has been praised for his determination after he swam through rough waters in fading light to save his mother and two siblings who had been swept out to sea off Australia's coast.
The family had been paddleboarding and kayaking in Geographe Bay, near Quindalup in Western Australia, on Friday when strong winds pushed their inflatables off course, police said.
The teenager began to paddle back to shore to raise the alarm but his kayak took on water - so he swam the remaining 4km (2 nautical miles).
The bravery, strength and courage shown by this family were extraordinary, especially the young fella who swam 4km to raise the alarm, Naturaliste Volunteer Marine Rescue Group said.
The organisation's commander Paul Bresland described the efforts of the teenager as superhuman.
He swam in, he reckons, the first two hours with a life jacket on, he told ABC News. The brave fella thought he's not going to make it with a life jacket on, so he ditched it, and he swam the next two hours without a life jacket.
The boy was able to raise the alarm by 18:00 local time (10:00 GMT) on Friday evening, sparking a multi-agency search for the relatives still adrift, Western Australia Police said in a statement on Monday.
The 47-year-old mother, her other son, 12, and daughter, eight, were located at around 20:30 by a rescue helicopter clinging to a paddleboard about 14km offshore.
A volunteer marine rescue vessel was directed to their location and all three were successfully rescued and returned to shore, the force said.
Insp James Bradley said the incident was an important reminder of how rapidly ocean conditions can change.
Thankfully, all three people were wearing life jackets, which contributed to their survival, he told local media.
The actions of the 13-year-old boy cannot be praised highly enough - his determination and courage ultimately saved the lives of his mother and siblings.
The family were assessed by paramedics before being taken to a nearby hospital, police said.
The family were later discharged and visited the marine rescue crew to say thank you, according to ABC.
