A 13-year-old Australian boy who swam for hours to raise the alarm after his family was swept kilometres out to sea has downplayed his extraordinary act of courage.
“I didn’t think I was a hero – I just did what I did” the boy told the BBC. Austin Appelbee was kayaking and paddleboarding with his mother Joanne, 47, brother Beau, 12, and sister Grace, 8, off Quindalup beach in Geographe Bay, Western Australia, on January 30 when strong winds pushed them far from shore. What began as a relaxed family outing quickly turned into a terrifying 10-hour ordeal.
