Amazing 13-Year-Old Boy Swims For Hours Through Ocean Water To Save His Mom And Younger Siblings, Credits God For His Heroic Act

A 13-year-old Australian boy is being hailed as a hero after swimming for hours through cold, dangerous ocean waters to save his mother and two younger siblings, a feat he says was only possible through prayer and faith.

Austin Appelbee was kayaking with his family off the coast near Quindalup when rough conditions swept them far out to sea. According to the Associated Press, the family eventually drifted nearly nine miles offshore and spent roughly ten hours in the water as waves and currents pushed them farther from land.

Faced with a rapidly worsening situation, Austin spoke with his mother, Joanne Appelbee, and made the decision to attempt a swim back to shore to get help. The family had been carried about two and a half miles out at the time, and Austin entered the water without a life jacket, surrounded by heavy waves and strong currents.

Appelbee later said he prayed continuously throughout the four hour swim, telling God that he would get baptized if he survived.

“I don’t think it was actually me swimming,” Appelbee said. “It was God the whole time. I kept on praying, kept on praying. I said to God, ‘I’ll get baptized.’”

Battling exhaustion and fear, the teenager focused on staying alive as the waves battered him. “The waves are massive, and I have no life jacket on,” he said. “I just kept thinking, ‘just keep swimming.’”

When Austin finally reached shore, the ordeal was not over. He collapsed briefly on the beach, then sprinted roughly a mile to find help and alert authorities.

Rescue crews quickly launched a search, deploying a helicopter that located his mother, 12 year old brother, and 8 year old sister still adrift in the water. All were rescued safely.

Joanne Appelbee described the moment she told her son to swim for help as one of the most painful decisions of her life.

“One of the hardest decisions I ever had to make was to say to Austin, ‘Try and get to shore and get some help. This could get really serious really quickly,’” she said.