Austin Appelbee awarded medal for bravery after Quindalup swim rescue
Thirteen-year-old Austin Appelbee was awarded the Clarke Gold Medal for bravery after swimming four kilometers to shore to save his family. The family had been swept out to sea while paddleboarding and kayaking near Quindalup, Australia.
Why it matters
The story highlights an extraordinary act of survival and heroism that underscores the importance of emergency preparedness and physical resilience in dangerous ocean conditions.
Schoolboy Austin Appelbee has been honoured for his bravery eight months after saving his family. ( ABC News: Cason Ho )
Austin Appelbee and his mother Joanne have received bravery awards in Perth, eight months on from his heroic efforts to get help for his family after they were all swept out to sea.
Austin received the Clarke Gold Medal from the Royal Humane Society of Australasia, and Joanne was recognised for her "courageous decision" to send him to shore.
An off-duty police officer who saved a woman from a burning house was among others honoured by the charity for risking their lives to save another.
Link copied Share Share article A Perth teenager who swam 4 kilometres in rough ocean conditions to save his family after they were swept out to sea has been awarded a prestigious bravery medal.
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