By Howard Cooper —
In an impressive display of courage under perilous conditions, 13-year-old Austin Appelbee from Perth, Australia, swam for nearly four hours through rough, cold seas to summon help after his family was swept miles offshore—then humbly declared it was “God the whole time” who carried him to safety.
The dramatic rescue unfolded on January 30, in Geographe Bay near Quindalup, when Austin, his mother Joanne Appelbee (47), brother Beau (12), and sister Grace (8) were enjoying a family outing on kayaks and paddleboards.
Strong currents and deteriorating conditions suddenly pushed them more than two miles offshore.
As fading light and massive waves threatened their survival, Austin made a fateful decision. After attempting to paddle back on his kayak—which soon took on water—he abandoned it and began swimming toward shore alone, initially wearing a life jacket but later ditching it to move more freely through the choppy conditions.
For almost four grueling hours, Austin battled exhaustion, fear, and freezing waters. In interviews with outlets including the BBC and ABC News, he recounted how prayer sustained him every stroke of the way.
“I don’t think it was actually me [swimming]… It was God the whole time,” Austin told reporters. “I kept on praying, kept on praying. I said to God, ‘I’ll get baptized.’”
He sang Christian songs in his head, focused on good thoughts about his family and friends, and repeated to himself, “Not today (death), not today, not today. I have to keep on going.”
Austin alternated between freestyle, breaststroke, and backstroke, refusing to give up even as doubt crept in.
Upon reaching shore, the young teen ran over a mile to find a phone and alert emergency services. His urgent call to triple-zero (Australia’s emergency line) conveyed the dire situation: “We got swept out to sea, and we got lost out there,” he told the dispatcher, uncertain if his loved ones were still alive.
Rescuers described Austin’s effort as “superhuman.” Police Inspector James Bradley praised the boy’s “determination and courage,” which ultimately saved his mother and siblings, who clung to paddleboards for over eight hours before being located and brought to safety. All family members were treated for minor injuries and hypothermia but are recovering well.
Joanne Appelbee, originally from Ireland, expressed profound gratitude and relief. She had feared the worst for her son during the ordeal. “I had assumed Austin hadn’t made it,” she told the BBC.
Austin, however, deflects any notion of personal heroism. “I don’t think I am a hero—I just did what I did,” he said humbly in a BBC interview.
For this young believer, the real hero is clear: God answered his desperate prayers and gave him supernatural strength in the face of overwhelming odds. Austin’s vow to be baptized if he survived stands as a powerful testimony to the faith that carried him through the storm—both literal and spiritual.
As he continues to recover with his family, one thing is certain: this 13-year-old’s faith will inspire others to look upward in their own trials.
To know more about a personal relationship with God, go here
Sources: BBC News, ABC News Australia, NBC News, and various eyewitness and official accounts from the Geographe Bay rescue.
