Family rescued at sea after a 13-year-old swam nearly four kilometers to shore to raise alarm

A woman and her two children were rescued off Australia’s west coast on Friday (January 30) after being swept out to sea near Quindalup, Western Australia, in rough conditions, authorities said. The rescue came after a 13-year-old family member swam about four kilometres to shore to raise the alarm. Police said the incident occurred on Friday evening when the family was kayaking and paddle boarding in Geographe Bay. The boy paddled briefly before his kayak took on water, forcing him to swim to land in fading light. A multi-agency search and rescue operation was then launched, involving local police, volunteer marine rescue crews and a rescue helicopter. The family — a 47-year-old woman, a 12-year-old boy and an 8-year-old girl — were later found clinging to a paddleboard and were safely brought ashore. Footage released by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority showed the moment a rescue boat reached the stranded family at sea. All three were assessed by paramedics and taken to hospital for medical checks. Police praised emergency responders and volunteers for their swift coordination, which led to what authorities described as "a successful outcome." (Production: Eleanor Whalley, Monica Naime, Jose Pablo Diaz) For more ABS-CBN News videos, click the link below: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgyY1WylJUmgUHWUpi2ioSp4xAP1SmAaf For more Breaking News & Live Coverage videos, click the link below: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgyY1WylJUmgG2ln-vtKXb-oLlGEZc3sR For more latest news and analysis from ABS-CBN News videos, click the link below: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgyY1WylJUmjA30dKUQCDlG7vy38QQk-Y For more News Digital News Raw Cuts, click the link below: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgyY1WylJUmiOw9mcoSbzoyp25AAZAAdn Subscribe to the ABS-CBN News channel! - http://bit.ly/TheABSCBNNews Watch full episodes on iWant for FREE here: http://iwanttfc.com Visit our website at http://news.abs-cbn.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abscbnNEWS Twitter: https://twitter.com/abscbnnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abscbnnews #NewsDigital #LatestNews #ABSCBNNews