13-year-old Australian boy has been hailed hero after epic swim that saved his family. The boy, Austin Appelbee, and his family were on beach holiday in Western Australia. They were kayaking and paddleboarding in shallow water when strong winds pushed them farther offshore. They ended up over four kilometres away from land, and daylight was fading. Austin decided to kayak to shore to get help. However, waves had damaged his kayak, which had taken in water and flipped over. He said he then lost oar and knew he was in trouble. He decided he had no alternative but to swim back to land. He swam through shark-frequented waters to raise alarm.
Austin made it to beach and phoned for help. This sparked huge rescue operation, which resulted in coastguards finding teenager's mother and two younger sisters. boy said: "I hit the bottom of beach and I just collapsed, and then, after that, I had to sprint two kilometres to get to phone." Rescuers called his efforts "superhuman". One rescuer said Austin's actions could not "be praised highly enough". He added that teenager's "determination and courage ultimately saved lives of his mother and siblings". Austin's mother Joanne, 47, told reporters: " wind picked up. We lost oars, and we drifted out further. It was absolute nightmare."
