Perth teen Austin Appelbee awarded Clarke Gold medal for heroic 4-hour swim through rough seas to rescue family swept 14km out to sea at Quindalup

Image credit: X/@anandanepaliA Perth teenager’s extraordinary act of courage has finally been recognised with one of Australia’s highest civilian bravery awards, eight months after he swam for hours through rough seas to save his family. Austin Appelbee, then 13, was paddleboarding and kayaking with his mother and two younger siblings off Quindalup, about 250 kilometres south of Perth, when the group was swept far offshore in February.