“COURAGE ISN’T FEARLESSNESS.” — WESTERN AUSTRALIA PREMIER HONORS 13-YEAR-OLD AUSTIN APPELBEE IN A LETTER THAT MOVED A STATE AS AUSTIN TO BE NAMED YOUNG AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR 2026. Fighting back emotion, Roger Cook wrote to Austin Appelbee not just as a leader — but as a father. “Courage isn’t the absence of fear,” he said. “It’s finding the strength to keep going when fear surrounds you.” After Austin’s near-impossible rescue — swimming for hours and sprinting ashore to save his mother and siblings drifting 14km offshore — the Premier went further, issuing an official invitation to honor the boy in person. Across Western Australia, pride is surging; calls are growing louder for Austin to be named Young Australian of the Year 2026. One thing is clear: this story has become bigger than a rescue — it’s a symbol of what resilience looks like.
WA Premier Roger Cook writes letter to 13yo hero swimmer Austin Appelbee
Austin Appelbee receives a personal invitation from the premier to thank him for his actions. (ABC News: Briana Shepherd)
In short:
The WA premier has written to Austin Appelbee, the 13-year-old hero who swam 4 kilometres to save his family, commending the teenager for his bravery.
Austin made the tough swim to shore after he and his family were swept out to sea on a kayak and inflatable paddleboards in Quindalup, in WA’s South West.
What’s next?
Premier Roger Cook has invited Austin and his family to Parliament House to thank the teen personally.
The Western Australia premier has written to a 13-year-old boy who swam 4 kilometres to save his family, describing his actions as “true bravery”.
Joanne Appelbee and her three children were holidaying a week ago in Quindalup, about 250 kilometres south of Perth, when they found themselves pushed out to sea on a kayak and inflatable paddleboards.
Roger Cook was “deeply moved” by the rescue. (ABC News: Courtney Withers)
What has been described as a “superhuman” effort from her son, Austin, led to him raising the alarm and the family being rescued 14km offshore after about 10 hours at sea.
Premier Roger Cook has now added his voice to the worldwide praise for Austin’s actions, saying as both a leader and a father, he was “deeply moved” by the family’s story.
“Few people are tested in the way you were, and to do what you did, with such resilience and determination, is a credit to yourself and your family,” Mr Cook wrote in a letter seen by the ABC.
“I can only imagine that out there alone in the ocean, it must have felt very lonely and frightening,” he wrote.
Extraordinary actions
The premier went on to say, “true bravery isn’t about being fearless”.
“It is about finding the strength to keep going, even when we are afraid,” he wrote.
“That is exactly what you did, and that is what makes your actions so extraordinary.
“You have done an amazing thing; you saved your family from a terrible situation.”
Joanne Appelbee tells the full story of the family’s ocean ordeal
Mr Cook went on to invite the family for a meeting at Parliament House to personally thank the teenager for his bravery.
“Western Australia is incredibly proud of you, Austin,” he concluded.
Authorities have warned that the Appelbee family’s rescue served as a reminder that hazards were only a few hundred metres from the shore, and that visitors needed to remain alert to conditions, especially when offshore winds were blowing.
A map showing roughly where the family was found in Geographe Bay, and the wind speed. (ABC News)
Geographe Bay in WA’s South West, where the rescue occurred, is considered “notorious” for its dangerous coastline and changing conditions by the local Surf Life Saving WA group.
In the aftermath of the rescue, the resort where the Appelbee family was staying and WorkSafe WA said they were looking into the incident.
