“Superhuman”: Australian boy (13) swims four kilometers in rough seas to save family

Since his mother and younger brother and sister did not have the strength to return, the eldest son started paddling alone in the kayak. However, the rough sea scooped water into the boat, and the teenager had to continue swimming. He battled the waves and current for four hours and four kilometers, Australian broadcaster ABC reports. Finally the boy reached the shore and raised the alarm.

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Paul Bresland, chief of the marine rescue service, told ABC that the three drowning people were found around 8:30 p.m., an hour after sunset. They had drifted as far as 9 miles from shore and were clinging to a paddleboard. With the help of a helicopter and the boy’s descriptions, it took less than an hour after the alarm before they were located.

Bresland calls the 13-year-old boy’s performance “superhuman,” especially considering the choppy waters. “For the first two hours, he believes, he was swimming with a life jacket on,” he said. “The brave kid didn’t think he could make it with the vest on, so he went without it for the next two hours. I thought, man, that’s incredible.”

The man emphasizes how important life jackets are in a situation like this. These have significantly increased the family’s chances of survival, according to Bresland. “But the boy’s performance in particular cannot be praised enough. His perseverance and courage saved the lives of his mother and brother and sister.” The mother also receives words of praise. She kept the other two children on the paddleboard together for hours. “She is an absolute hero,” said Bresland.e