Skip to content
  • Happy Health
  • Happy Mindset
  • Animal Wonders
  • About Us
    • Team
  • Subscribe
Menu
  • Happy Health
  • Happy Mindset
  • Animal Wonders
  • About Us
    • Team
  • Subscribe
Happy News

The Superhuman Teen Who Swam to Save His Family

Thirteen year old Austin Appelbee was enjoying a family vacation in Western Australia when strong winds suddenly pushed their inflatable paddleboards and kayak far out into Geographe Bay, leaving him separated from his mother Joanne and siblings Beau and Grace. The brave teenager attempted to paddle back in his kayak to get help but when it started taking on water he had to swim the remaining four kilometers with every second counting to save his family. Austin swam two hours with his life jacket then ditched it because the weight was slowing him down, swimming two more hours without flotation repeating to himself not today not today not today. When Austin finally collapsed on the beach exhausted he found strength to sprint two more kilometers to a phone, calmly telling emergency services he needed helicopters planes and boats because his family was out at sea.

Marine Rescue commander Paul called Austin’s efforts superhuman saying his detailed descriptions helped rescuers locate the family within hours 14 kilometers offshore clinging to a paddleboard after drifting eight to ten hours. Joanne later explained she kept saying she could not go on but her children were looking her in the eyes so she kept going earning her own hero status. The family was discharged over the weekend and visited rescue teams to say thank you with Austin now on crutches because doctors said his exertion equaled running two marathons. When asked what gave him power to accomplish such heroic acts Austin said he did not think it was actually him swimming but that it was God the whole time, and he kept praying saying he would get baptized if he made it through proving faith and determination can swim oceans.

Source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02-02/geographe-bay-rescue-boy-superhuman-swim/106296100

PrevPreviousEconomy Adds 130,000 Jobs, Beats Expectations
NextThis 32 Year Old Turned Dog Fostering Into A Half Million Dollar CareerNext

Recent Articles

Happy News

From Janitor To Doctor At Yale

March 29, 2026

When Shay Taylor-Allen found out she had matched with her first-choice medical residency at Yale New Haven Hospital, she said she was jumping up and down so hard she thought the concrete might break. The reaction makes a lot more sense when you know the full story. The 32-year-old, who

Read More
Happy News

The Community That Proved Parents Are Not Powerless Against Phones

March 29, 2026

In the small Irish seaside town of Greystones, just south of Dublin, something genuinely unusual is happening: children are growing up without smartphones, and most of them say they are fine with it. In 2023, local parents, school principals and community members launched a voluntary program called It Takes a

Read More
Happy News

Wikipedia Just Officially Banned AI From Writing Its Articles

March 29, 2026

Wikipedia, one of the most visited websites in the world, has officially banned the use of artificial intelligence to write or rewrite its articles. The new policy, which passed with 44 votes in favor and just two opposed among the site’s volunteer editor community, states clearly that AI-generated text often

Read More
« Previous Next »
  • Privacy Notice
  • Accessibility Notice
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
  • Unsubscribe
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Privacy Notice
  • Accessibility Notice
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
  • Unsubscribe
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2026 HappyNews.