Austin Appelbee, a teenager in Western Australia, survived a terrifying four-hour swim after he and his family were swept out to sea near Quindalup.
With no way to return to shore, his mother made the painful decision to send Austin to find help as darkness approached.
Austin swam about four kilometers through strong waves, abandoning a damaged kayak and even removing his life jacket when it slowed him down.
He later told the BBC that prayer, Christian songs, and thoughts of his family kept him going.
“I don’t think it was me who did it — it was God the whole time,” he said. “I kept praying and praying, and I said to God, ‘I’ll get baptized, I’ll get baptized.’”
After collapsing on shore and calling for help, Austin learned hours later that his mother and siblings were rescued alive after drifting nearly 14 kilometers offshore.
