Boy (13) swims four hours through the sea and saves his family

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• A 13-year-old boy swam for four hours through the open sea to finally save his mother and two younger siblings from drowning.
• The family had previously been swept out to sea by strong winds.
• The eldest son finally swam four kilometers back to land in difficult conditions.
• There he collapsed briefly, exhausted, but then ran another two kilometers to alert the rescue team.

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In a four-hour swim against the wind and waves, a 13-year-old boy saved his mother and two younger siblings from drowning off the coast of Western Australia. The family had been swept out to sea by strong winds on Friday afternoon during a vacation in Quindalup, around 250 kilometers south of Perth.

The four family members had been in Geographe Bay with inflatable paddleboards and a kayak when the weather conditions suddenly deteriorated, the ABC broadcaster quoted local sea rescuers as saying. The 13-year-old Austin initially tried to paddle the kayak back to shore to get help. However, the boat took on water and he had to abandon the attempt.

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In the end, the teenager swam around four kilometers back to shore in strong waves and increasingly difficult conditions. According to his own account, he was in the water for a total of around four hours, partly with and partly without a life jacket. The sea off Western Australia is known for its high shark population.

After reaching the beach exhausted, he collapsed briefly - but then walked about two kilometers further to reach a phone and make an emergency call. The head of "Naturaliste Marine Rescue", Paul Bresland, spoke of a "superhuman" performance by the boy, who subsequently gave the authorities a precise description of the kayaks and paddleboards used.

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A large-scale search and rescue operation was then launched, involving the water police, volunteer lifeguards and a helicopter, among others. A few hours later, the helicopter finally discovered the 47-year-old mother and the boy's twelve-year-old brother and eight-year-old sister around 14 kilometers off the coast. They were clinging to a paddleboard and had been keeping their heads above water for hours in choppy seas. A lifeboat brought them safely ashore.

"Thankfully all three people were wearing life jackets, which contributed to their survival," said police spokesman James Bradley. "The 13-year-old boy's actions deserve the highest praise - his determination and bravery ultimately saved the lives of his mother and siblings."

"He estimates he swam the first two hours with a life jacket on," lifeguard Paul Bresland told Australian TV station ABC. Then the "brave guy" feared "that he wouldn't make it with the life jacket. So he took it off and swam for the next two hours without a life jacket."