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“THIS WASN’T THE DAY.” At just 13 years old, an Australian boy stared down the open ocean — and refused to let it win

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13-year-old swims for hours to save family swept out to sea

 

“The waves are massive, and I have no life jacket on. I just kept thinking, ‘Just keep swimming, just keep swimming,’” said Austin Appelbee.

A 13-year-old boy is credited with saving the lives of his mother and two younger siblings with an hourslong swim after the family was swept out to sea off the coast of Australia.

Austin Appelbee swam 2.5 miles to shore to raise the alarm after he got into difficulties on Friday with his mother, Joanne Appelbee, 47, brother Beau, 12, and sister Grace, 8, police said.

Austin said he initially set off for help on an inflatable kayak that was taking water. He abandoned the kayak then took off his life jacket because it impeded his swimming.

He said he tried to focus on positive thoughts as he swam for around four hours through rough seas for shore, raising the alarm at 6 p.m.

“The waves are massive, and I have no life jacket on. I just kept thinking, ‘Just keep swimming, just keep swimming,’” Austin said Tuesday. “And then I finally I made it to shore and I hit the bottom of the beach and I just collapsed.”

13-year-old swims four hours in open ocean to save mother and siblings
Austin Appelbee, right, with his family in Quindalup, Western Australia on Feb. 3, 2026.ABC via AP

The family, from the state capital, Perth, were on vacation and were using kayaks and paddle boards hired from their hotel around noon when rough ocean and wind conditions started dragging them out to sea.

A search helicopter found the mom and two children wearing life jackets and clinging to a paddleboard at 8:30 p.m., police said. They had drifted 9 miles from Quindalup in Western Australia state, after spending up to 10 hours in the water.

13-year-old swims four hours in open ocean to save mother and siblings
The beach in Quindalup where Austin Appelbee swam for four hours through choppy waters to get help for his family. ABC / AFP – Getty Images

“The actions of the 13-year-old boy cannot be praised highly enough — his determination and courage ultimately saved the lives of his mother and siblings,” Police Inspector James Bradley said.

Joanne Appelbee told reporters on Tuesday she sent her oldest child for help because she could not leave the three children.

“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 told Australian Broadcasting Corp.

She said she was confident he would reach shore but was filled with doubt as the sunset set and help had not arrived.

“We kept positive, we were singing and we were joking and — we were treating it as a bit of a game until the sun started to go down and that’s when it was getting very choppy. Very big waves,” she said.

The three were all shivering and Beau had lost sensation in his legs because of the cold by the time they were rescued, the mom said.

“I have three babies. All three made it. That was all that mattered,” she said.

All four family members were medically assessed, but none required hospital admission.

New details have turned the search for Nancy Guthrie into a family-centric mystery. Authorities confirm that Annie Guthrie dropped her mother off at 9:30 p.m. after dinner—the last confirmed sighting before she vanished into thin air. Seeing Annie and her husband now, moving in total silence with covered faces, has only fueled the ‘armchair sleuths’ online. Without a forced entry, the window between dinner and dawn is the key to everything. What happened in those final hours? The silence is becoming deafening.
New details have turned the search for Nancy Guthrie into a family-centric mystery. Authorities confirm that Annie Guthrie dropped her mother off at 9:30 p.m. after dinner—the last confirmed sighting before she vanished into thin air. Seeing Annie and her husband now, moving in total silence with covered faces, has only fueled the ‘armchair sleuths’ online. Without a forced entry, the window between dinner and dawn is the key to everything. What happened in those final hours? The silence is becoming deafening.

Savannah Guthrie’s sister Annie and brother-in-law keep low profile in first sighting since mom Nancy’s disappearance Savannah Guthrie’s…

“‘Two strangers, one large and one tall and thin, were seen for days. We assumed they were just workers… but we never saw their faces.’ 👤👤 Those faceless shadows are now the prime suspects in the abduction of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie. Neighbors in the quiet Arizona suburb admitted they ignored the red flags, believing the men were part of Nancy’s staff. It turns out, the ‘cleaners’ may have been cleaning out her security instead. Police are now searching for any Ring camera footage that might have captured these two figures before the night of January 31.
“‘Two strangers, one large and one tall and thin, were seen for days. We assumed they were just workers… but we never saw their faces.’ 👤👤 Those faceless shadows are now the prime suspects in the abduction of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie. Neighbors in the quiet Arizona suburb admitted they ignored the red flags, believing the men were part of Nancy’s staff. It turns out, the ‘cleaners’ may have been cleaning out her security instead. Police are now searching for any Ring camera footage that might have captured these two figures before the night of January 31.

Nancy Guthrie’s neighbor makes chilling claim she was ‘exposed’ as FBI searches woods around Arizona home: Live updates…

For days, two men loitered outside the home of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie. One was described as heavy-set; the other, a tall, gaunt figure. Now, neighbors in her quiet Arizona community are speaking out about the ‘suffocating fear’ they felt for her. ‘Because her daughter is so rich, she was a walking target,’ a witness told the US Sun. The kidnapping wasn’t a random act—it was a calculated hunt. As police piece together the descriptions of these two suspects, the question remains: Where is Nancy?
For days, two men loitered outside the home of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie. One was described as heavy-set; the other, a tall, gaunt figure. Now, neighbors in her quiet Arizona community are speaking out about the ‘suffocating fear’ they felt for her. ‘Because her daughter is so rich, she was a walking target,’ a witness told the US Sun. The kidnapping wasn’t a random act—it was a calculated hunt. As police piece together the descriptions of these two suspects, the question remains: Where is Nancy?

Nancy Guthrie’s neighbor makes chilling claim she was ‘exposed’ as FBI searches woods around Arizona home: Live updates…

The investigation into the disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie has taken a dark, corporate turn. Authorities have reportedly linked the kidnapping to individuals employed by Savannah Guthrie’s professional rivals. This isn’t just a crime; it’s an act of war. As forensic evidence connects the dots back to the competing network, investigators are asking: how deep does this conspiracy go? Savannah Guthrie has spent her life reporting the news, but she never expected to be at the center of a hit job orchestrated by her own peers.
The investigation into the disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie has taken a dark, corporate turn. Authorities have reportedly linked the kidnapping to individuals employed by Savannah Guthrie’s professional rivals. This isn’t just a crime; it’s an act of war. As forensic evidence connects the dots back to the competing network, investigators are asking: how deep does this conspiracy go? Savannah Guthrie has spent her life reporting the news, but she never expected to be at the center of a hit job orchestrated by her own peers.

The suspects involved in the kidnapping of Savannah Guthrie’s mother have been identified, and it is surprising: they…

💔 While Savannah Guthrie begs for a miracle, her brother’s first public appearance since their mother’s disappearance is haunting the headlines. The world expected desperation; they got a chilling, quiet calm. As the search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie enters a critical new phase, the internet is obsessing over the final seconds of this footage. Does his behavior help the case, or does it add more questions to an already twisted mystery? The family begs for privacy, but the world is looking for answers.
💔 While Savannah Guthrie begs for a miracle, her brother’s first public appearance since their mother’s disappearance is haunting the headlines. The world expected desperation; they got a chilling, quiet calm. As the search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie enters a critical new phase, the internet is obsessing over the final seconds of this footage. Does his behavior help the case, or does it add more questions to an already twisted mystery? The family begs for privacy, but the world is looking for answers.

Savannah Guthrie’s brother and sister put on united front in first sighting since mom’s disappearance Savannah Guthrie’s brother…

A rare sighting of Savannah Guthrie’s brother has sent shockwaves through the investigation. As authorities treat Nancy’s disappearance as a criminal abduction, the public is now scrutinizing the very family she left behind. Dressed plainly and offering no comment, his ‘guarded’ presence has sparked a viral debate: Is it grief, or is it something else? ‘This feels off,’ commenters are saying, as a specific detail in his movements goes viral. In a case this cold, even a silent walk to a car becomes a major clue.
A rare sighting of Savannah Guthrie’s brother has sent shockwaves through the investigation. As authorities treat Nancy’s disappearance as a criminal abduction, the public is now scrutinizing the very family she left behind. Dressed plainly and offering no comment, his ‘guarded’ presence has sparked a viral debate: Is it grief, or is it something else? ‘This feels off,’ commenters are saying, as a specific detail in his movements goes viral. In a case this cold, even a silent walk to a car becomes a major clue.

Savannah Guthrie’s brother and sister put on united front in first sighting since mom’s disappearance Savannah Guthrie’s brother…