Australian teen swims 2.5 miles for hours to save family swept out to sea

Police say Austin Appelbee's determination and courage saved his family after they spent up to 10 hours in the water


By & Collin Rugg—— Bio and Archives--February 4, 2026

Lifestyles | Comments | Back To Full Article


(Colin Rugg) 13-year-old Australian boy swims for four hours in cold and dangerous waters to save his mom and siblings who were swept into the ocean, says God is who got him to shore.

The family was on kayaks & paddleboards when they were swept about 2.5 miles out to sea.

After a conversation with his mother, Austin Appelbee decided he would swim back to shore to find help.

Appelbee says he prayed throughout the four-hour swim and told God he would get baptized if he made it out alive.

"I don't think it was actually me [swimming]... It was God the whole time. I kept on praying, kept on praying. I said to God, 'I'll get baptized.'"

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