Patriot Brief

  • What Happened: 13-year-old Austin Appelbee swam for four hours through cold, dangerous ocean waters without a life jacket to save his family after they were swept 2.5 miles out to sea.
  • Why It Matters: Austin prayed throughout the swim and promised God he would get baptized if he made it alive, saying "It was God the whole time."
  • Bottom Line: After collapsing on shore, Austin sprinted a mile to alert authorities who rescued his mom and two siblings after 10 hours in the water.

This is the kind of story that reminds you heroes still exist, and faith still moves mountains.

Thirteen-year-old Austin Appelbee swam for four hours through cold and dangerous ocean waters without a life jacket to save his mother and two siblings after they were swept out to sea off the coast of Australia. And he says God is the one who got him to shore.

The Appelbee family was on kayaks and paddleboards when they were swept about 2.5 miles out into the ocean. After a conversation with his mother, Austin made the decision to swim back to shore to find help.

"The waves are massive, and I have no life jacket on," Austin said. "I just kept thinking, just keep swimming, just keep swimming."

But Austin did more than just swim. He prayed. The entire four hours, he prayed. And he made God a promise.

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

God delivered. Austin finally hit the bottom of the beach and collapsed from exhaustion. But his work was not done. He got back up and sprinted for about a mile to find help.

When he reached civilization, Austin alerted authorities, who sent out a helicopter to find his mom, 12-year-old brother, and 8-year-old sister. According to reports, the family had drifted 9 miles from Quindalup and spent 10 hours in the water before they were rescued.

Austin's mother, Joanne Appelbee, said one of the hardest decisions of her life was sending her 13-year-old son to shore alone.

"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.

It was serious. It could have been tragic. But because of a brave kid who trusted God and never stopped praying, everyone made it home alive.

Austin kept his promise, too. He got baptized.

This is what real courage looks like. A 13-year-old boy swimming for four hours through massive waves, praying the entire time, collapsing on shore, and then getting back up to run a mile for help. No quitting. No giving up. Just faith, determination, and a promise to God.

What a remarkable kid. What a faithful God.