‘Not today’: Teen, 13, swims 4km, survives unharmed, saves family
A teenage boy has been praised for his ‘superhuman’ courage after he swam 4km to shore to save his mum and little brothers when they were all swept out to sea off the coast of WA
READING LEVEL: GREEN
A heroic teenage praised for his “superhuman” effort after swimming 4km in open water has described the moment he collapsed on the beach only to immediately get back up to sprint to a phone. The 13-year-old battled back to land in waters known for shark sightings to save his family after they were all swept out to sea.
Once the boy managed to raise the alarm, an urgent multi-agency operation began to rescue his mum and siblings, after strong winds blew the family out to open water on inflatable paddleboards and kayaks in the waters off Quindalup, south of Perth.
They were enjoying a family holiday when conditions pushed the group offshore.
Marine authorities were only alerted to the family’s predicament* after the 13-year-old boy somehow made his way back to shore.
The child was forced to swim the rest of the way after his kayak began taking on water.
“I just said, ‘All right, not today, not today, not today’,” the boy told Sky News.
“I do breaststroke, I do freestyle, I do survival backstroke.
“I hit the bottom of the beach and I just collapsed, and then after that I had to sprint 2km to go get to the phone.”
The waters are known for frequent shark sightings, with WA’s SharkSmart website tracking multiple sightings along the south west coast in the past week alone.
Naturaliste Marine Rescue commander Paul Bresland told the ABC the rest of the child’s family — his 47-year-old mum and two brothers, aged 12 and eight — were rescued at 8.30pm, clinging to a single paddleboard 14km offshore.
Mr Bresland said the 13-year-old showed “superhuman” efforts swimming to shore to alert authorities.
“He swam in, he reckons, the first two hours with a life jacket on,” Mr Bresland told the national broadcaster.
“And the brave fella thought he’s not going to make it with a life jacket on, so he ditched it, and he swam the next two hours without a life jacket. I thought, ‘Mate, that is incredible’.”
The multi-agency emergency deployment* included an Australian Maritime Safety Authority search and rescue aircraft from Perth, an RAC Rescue helicopter from Bunbury, two rescue vessels from Naturaliste Volunteer Marine Rescue and two vessels from Marine Rescue Busselton.
In a Facebook post, Marine Rescue Busselton said it was a “fantastic effort” and a great outcome from everyone involved in the “very trying conditions”.
“Please be mindful of the strong offshore winds that can occur this time of year,” the agency stated in its post.
South West Police Inspector James Bradley also joined in the praise* of the child’s actions and the family’s use of essential safety equipment.
“Thankfully, all three people were wearing life jackets, which contributed to their survival,” he told the ABC.
“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*.”
POLL
GLOSSARY
- predicament: an unpleasant or confusing situation that is difficult to get out of or solve
- deployment: movement of soldiers, emergency personnel or equipment to a place where they can be used when they are needed
- praise: to express admiration or approval of the achievements or characteristics of a person or thing
- deployment: movement of soldiers or equipment to a place where they can be used when they are needed
- courage: the ability to control your fear in a dangerous or difficult situation
- siblings: brothers or sisters
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QUICK QUIZ
- How far did the 13-year-old have to swim to raise the alarm?
- How far offshore was the rest of his family found?
- How old were the boy’s two younger siblings, rescued alongside their mum?
- The rescue involved multiple agencies – what resources were deployed?
- What was the piece of safety equipment worn by each family member that helped save their lives?
LISTEN TO THIS STORY
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Courageous actions
This young boy found himself in an impossible situation and had to act quickly to save his family.
Do you think he was successful in his mission to swim for his family due to courage, determination, fearlessness or responsibility?
Write a one paragraph answer to that question, trying to explain how this young boy managed to save his family.
Time: allow 15 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking
2. Extension
Who were the people/authorities and what were the circumstances that helped the family ultimately survive this experience of being swept out to sea? Write a list below:
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Time: allow 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking
VCOP ACTIVITY
Imaginative dialogue
Imagine you were there during the rescue or that you were one of the young siblings clinging to the paddleboard.
Create a conversation between two characters or rescue teams from the article – you may need or want to include yourself as one of the characters. Don’t forget to try to use facts and details from the article to help make your dialogue as realistic as possible.
Go through your writing and highlight any punctuation you have used in green. Make sure you carefully check the punctuation used for the dialogue and ensure you have opened and closed the speaking in the correct places.