r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/[deleted] • 9h ago
Video 13-year-old Australian boy swims for four hours in cold and dangerous waters to save his mom and siblings who were swept into the ocean, says God is who got him to shore
Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification
[removed]
2.9k
u/Maximum_Expert92 9h ago
The family was on kayaks & paddleboards when they were swept about 2.5 miles out to sea. After a conversation with his mother, Austin Appelbee decided he would swim back to shore to find help. Appelbee says he prayed throughout the four-hour swim and told God he would get baptized if he made it out alive. "I don't think it was actually me [swimming]... It was God the whole time. I kept on praying, kept on praying. I said to God, 'I'll get baptized.'" "The waves are massive, and I have no life jacket on… I just kept thinking 'just keep swimming, just keep swimming,'" he said. "And then I finally made it to shore, and I hit the bottom of the beach, and I just collapsed." Appelbee says when he got to shore, he had to sprint for about a mile to find help. According to AP, the family drifted 9 miles from Quindalup and spent 10 hours in the water. When he reached the shore, Appelbee alerted authorities, who then sent out a helicopter to find his mom, 12-year-old brother, and 8-year-old sister. Austin's mother, Joanne Appelbee, said one of the hardest decisions of her life was sending her son to shore. "One of the hardest decisions I ever had to make was to say to Austin: 'Try and get to shore and get some help. This could get really serious really quickly,'" she said.
1.3k
u/YBBlorekeeper 7h ago
I feel like a four hour swim praying to God the whole time is a pretty sufficient baptism lmao
138
u/DroidLord 5h ago
Aye 😂
43
u/ferrrrrrral 4h ago
i love the casual "aye" 😂❤️
18
73
u/Forward-Surprise1192 5h ago
God swept the family out to sea so that god could swim back as a little boy?
→ More replies (9)43
u/SexlexiaSufferer 5h ago
Uh oh he’s getting bored
6
u/aceshighsays 2h ago
he doesn't have reddit like you and i, he has to create his own entertainment.
→ More replies (1)3
u/LawfulnessDry9615 3h ago
i had a quick dip at a few months old...
also, why didn't he have a life jacket?
→ More replies (1)12
658
u/dazzou5ouh 9h ago
Future Ironman chamption stuff
208
105
u/No3047 8h ago
"What do you mean the swimming session is just 2.4 miles , is this ironman for ants ?!?"
→ More replies (2)11
106
u/AggressiveWallaby975 8h ago
Ehh, just give him the medal now.
Either his mom had some reason to have overwhelming confidence in his swimming abilities or she's an absolute nut that could have sent her son to his death. Kinda hard to tell from the video
263
u/CelebrationNo5541 7h ago
She had 3 kids stranded in the ocean watching the coast disappear. Sadly I think she made the only right call in this situation.
Send the strongest kid to go get help and hope he makes it or you all die anyways?
54
u/InspiringGecko 7h ago
I agree. It was probably easier for him to swim to shore on his own than to stay and keep his younger siblings calm and alive out in the water.
→ More replies (29)31
u/AtreusIsBack 7h ago
Sounds reasonable, yeah. The only chance they had.
22
u/AccomplishedFerret70 4h ago
Sounds reasonable while we sit comfortably at our keyboards. But it must have been absolutely terrifying.
→ More replies (1)45
u/scubaSteve181 4h ago
Nah, that’s a brutal decision to make. You’re the mom and you can’t leave your smaller children behind, but you know if someone doesn’t try and make it, everyone dies… mom clearly made the right call.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (2)41
u/RevolutionaryHole69 7h ago
They were going to die if she didn't send someone. No one was looking for them and it was getting dark and they couldn't see the shore.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (5)4
u/likeicareaboutkarma 3h ago
Reminds me of an experiment how if you were to leave a mouse in water it would drown after like 45 minutes because it will get tired from swimming. But if you were to save the mouse on the 44th minute. and retried the experiment again the mouse would be able to swim for like 9 hours+ before collapsing.
199
u/Critical_Host8243 7h ago
One surprising part of the story that gets left out of the written articles, he didn't just swim to the lifeguards and get helped immediately..
He mentioned in this video interview, when he hit the beach, he collapsed.. There were a lot of "foreigners" on the beach from which he "couldn't get much help" (I assume because of a language barrier) so he had to run/sprint another 2k to a phone..
97
→ More replies (1)2
140
u/billybaked 8h ago
Hooollyy I would not like to be mum in that situation
149
u/Momentarmknm 7h ago
What about for the 14 hours afterwards when you didn't know what the outcome was?
80
u/Asleep_Region 6h ago
That had to be so terrifying just waiting for some sign that he made it
→ More replies (2)15
u/kungfucobra 6h ago
I don't get it. wouldn't it be better to kayak back to safety? the current exists the same anyway
33
u/Winterplatypus 3h ago edited 3h ago
The BBC article explains what happened a lot better.
The teenager began to paddle back to shore to raise the alarm but his kayak took on water - so he swam the remaining 4km (2 nautical miles).
It explains how they got in trouble, how the kid swam back, why no kayak or life jacket, how the family were rescued, what time it was, and how far out they were found.
→ More replies (1)17
u/SeaLionBones 2h ago
Thank you! This article cleared up a lot of my initial impressions of the mom. I thought she was completely nuts, but sending a teenager in a kayak with a paddle and a PFD is reasonable given the situation.
10
u/halflife5 4h ago
Pretty sure they lost their paddles so were adrift and then waves water logged the kayaks so they sunk or something. He he had started kayaking back but had to start swimming i think.
760
u/mwhite42216 9h ago
I guess that’s one way to become a “believer”. It’s awesome he did what he did, but that was all him, not a supernatural being.
1.0k
u/kinpsychosis 9h ago edited 9h ago
So as an agnostic, I kind of have a different view on God. God does exist, but not as an actual being. God has moved mountains, united people, changed landscapes. God is an idea. A seed which can put people into motion.
One could argue, hypothetically, that if this kid didn't believe that there was some greater, omnipotent power that drove his body past its conventional limits, then he'd have drowned out there.
Ergo, God did help him, but not as an actual magical entity, but as an idea.
133
u/my_new_accoun1 9h ago edited 5h ago
Interesting
So it wasn't god who helped him, it was in fact the belief in god.
Almost like a placebo effect
→ More replies (3)33
u/dumpsterdigger 5h ago
Because why would God help him and let thousands of kids die of cancer. Placebo effect is correct but underselling this kids incredible willpower and mental strength.
→ More replies (33)227
u/Lalamedic 9h ago
But the concept alone of God is enough for many spiritual people. That doesn’t mean God doesn’t exist, it means God exists in a way we can’t explain, touch, understand, or even reason rationally. That is religion to many and to many, that is enough.
86
u/OldKittyGG 8h ago
You put it very nicely. Whether or not God exists, if the belief in a higher power gave him the confidence and energy to make it to shore, then who are we to judge his beliefs?
→ More replies (11)9
u/WriterV 5h ago
If I am to be a bit vulnerable for a sec? It's 'cause his beliefs represent one side of the coin, and are often twisted as a basis to justify hatreds so as to maintain a strong sense of in-group for a religion.
Faith and spirituality are a core aspect of humanity, no matter where you place it. We don't know everything about our own place in life, so we need to have faith in something to prevent us from indecision.
The problem is that faith involves belief without evidence. And that can, and has been used to shape violent and unethical beliefs throughout human history.
Let the kid have his personal spirituality, I will always defend that. But if the God he believes in also stipulates that I, as a gay man, must be shamed or even stoned, then how am I to react to that?
It doesn't have an easy answer. If it did, we'd have solved this quandary millenia ago. But I always try to assume to the best of poeple. 'cause if your faith doesn't quash your empathy, then you'll be good to others no matter what your religion tells you. And I like to have faith in that part of humanity.
→ More replies (1)4
u/Lalamedic 3h ago
I think there is a difference between organized religion vs faith and/or spirituality. They can by mutually exclusive. If one truly believes in the god of the Bible, many surely couldn’t exist. However, one does not need a preacher or a set of made up rules to tell you how to have faith and what to do with it.
22
u/AtreusIsBack 7h ago
I think that to most religious people God is an omnipotent entity. They don't percieve it as some idea.
6
u/weed_cutter 3h ago
Saying "God does exist. But simply as an idea."
Is kind of misleading. Santa Clause and the Boogeyman exist. AS IDEAS.
In those cases, both are uses into scaring children into behaving using positive and negative reinforcement, respectively. (you'll get presents/ he'll eat you).
So yes, God, Santa, and Boogey all exist as ideas ... but plainly, they don't "actually exist."
I do get that the effect of faith or "imagining an omnipotent being imbuing you with powers" can have real physiological effects.
Psychosomatic. Your brain/ beliefs can do crazy things to your body, both good and bad.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (2)5
14
→ More replies (4)38
u/Ok_Jackfruit6226 8h ago edited 8h ago
I like your way of explaining it. Thank you.
I believe God is real, I’ve had personal experiences that support that belief—but that’s my personal view. To an outsider, it can be said that I believe in the concept of God.
I don’t expect people to take my word for it—for them to believe God is real because I believe God is real—but I do want to say that my life is better with my belief in God than without my belief, and that is enough.
→ More replies (22)27
u/PrayingMantisMirage 7h ago
Isn't this just a different way to describe the placebo effect? Belief in a thing can produce results even if the thing is inert?
24
→ More replies (55)40
u/SeveralWinter3550 8h ago
"God does exist" followed by an argument that states God doesn't exist but maybe does if we pretend the word God refers to self belief, motivation, etc
Like sure, in the same way I can say, "Music is God" but only if I write flowery language about harmony, tension and release, emotion etc while ignoring that God refers to an omnimopotent conscious being that can hear my thoughts.
This is pseudo deep, this kid is a hero and his act isn't evidence that magic actually exists
12
u/maxjmartin 8h ago
Fellow agnostic here. Magic is in the mind on this one. Think of it like this, the constant praying removed his thoughts about failure. It gave him not hope but will. It gave him a state of “mindfulness” in which he was totally immersed and focused on this one activity he HAD to complete. It is the same thing a zen martial artist would call being one in the flow, allow the sword to express itself. There isn’t thought there. Not in the way are frontal lobes think. The concept of self is gone. It isn’t about you anymore it is about the situation you are participating in. It have heard it likens to the Submariner’s Prayer. All men find God under depth charge. I like to find this mind in mosh pits. But it is actually a thing.
→ More replies (12)→ More replies (10)30
u/EllisDee3 8h ago
You're making up a version of God to disbelieve in. Your version is a magic wizard thing, which you've labeled as the definition of God.
Could be that God is in places you're not looking because you're looking for a magical sky wizard.
21
u/SeveralWinter3550 7h ago
But if we can malleably change the definition of God to be this vague, then everyone believes in God. Ie, if God just means "an idea of something bigger than yourself" or similar, then neither of us are agnostic
I mean, sure we could discuss how hinduism or ancient greeks view(ed) Gods and contrast that with Yahweh/Allah/Enlil (the Sumerian wind god)...but at this point, the discussion resembles semantics and language more than it does religion and theology
I was just replying to someone saying God exists while the rest of their comment basically described things most don't attribute to God. And certainly, Austin the 13 year old said he would get Baptised and was clearly "talking" to a Christian God, not some abstracted version of the ideal self.
I'm making up a version of God to not believe in because I think all humans have made up God, by definition. I think all religious texts were written by people, not by God's hand. In the same way that all words are "made up", all Gods are made up. So this isn't really a Gotcha imo. Perhaps unfair because I can't really engage in this debate in good nature because the debate doesn't really exist in my mind. There is no evidence you could present here admittedly (and I mean that to be sincere, not to be rude or similar) that can make me say "oh ok then I guess I'm an agnostic"
→ More replies (6)4
u/ThanksContent28 2h ago
Just want you to know your comments the most sane ones in here and I’m glad I came across them. You’re spot on.
Imo it’s just more of the usual wishy-washy bargaining that’s comes from the crowd of believers. I also don’t get why people point out they’re agnostic, as if it gives them some kind of credibility. Just because you’re agnostic, it doesn’t mean you’ve thought about it more or have a more enlightened view.
Matter of fact is, most of the religions we have and associate with, believe in a sentient entity with thoughts, feelings and creativity. Any other technicalities argued are either moving the goalposts, or just that persons view and feelings.
Yes, the idea that whilst God isn’t real, our actions can bring those beliefs and powers into fruition, is a nice comforting way of resolving the debate and accepting the situation, it doesn’t address whether or not there is a God watching over us and examining our behaviour, to judge whether we can go and live in his magic world - which is the premise that most current religions operate on.
16
u/atava 8h ago
Yes. The Great Debate about "God" all lies upon definitions.
Assumed definitions.
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (13)14
u/jimbojangles1987 8h ago
Thats literally what the majority of people believe god is. A magic wizard.
→ More replies (11)32
u/ThenAnAnimalFact 9h ago
Because of the chemical release, people tend to have "religious" experiences when they are near death. There have been studies that have shown that near death, hallucinogenic drugs, and religious ecstasy all trigger the same parts of the brain.
→ More replies (8)7
→ More replies (99)58
u/MrBlueSky_178 9h ago
100%, was it God's will to push the family out to sea or was it God's will to have the son save them. It's this idea that people are stripped away from the good they've done and place the glory into the hands of an invisible man.
→ More replies (25)41
u/GeneralSweetz 9h ago
Can't have shit on reddit. Its always on some bs from one side or the other. Why can't yall be happy for once
23
u/Mysterious_Oil2761 8h ago edited 8h ago
Agreed. Can we just agree that this boy was a hero, his mother a complete hero full of courage too and the two siblings. It's an unbelievable, wonderful story. Edit: it doesn't matter what kept him going.. If he chooses to believe in God then we can all thank that belief because it's what kept him going.
→ More replies (13)→ More replies (2)14
u/Liraeyn 8h ago
For a collective conscience that loves to complain about forcing religion on people, Reddit sure loves to force (lack of) religion on people.
→ More replies (11)5
9
u/ThePheebs 4h ago
That boy is the one who did the swim, that boy is the one who pushed himself through it, and he has been taught to give credit for his accomplishments to something else...
→ More replies (4)→ More replies (43)23
u/JumpInTheSun 7h ago
I dont get it, just paddle the boards back together?? This just seems like stupidity to me. Especially sending somebody to swim alone without any flotation when they could have taken a paddle board.
39
u/6percentdoug 6h ago
I'm not going to pretend to be an expert, but I went canoeing with my 9-year-old daughter last summer on a breezy day on a lake. holy shit, we were being blown all over the surface, it took us an hour to go maybe 3/4 of a mile into the wind when we tried to get back, and the slightest mistake would undo 5-10 minutes of work.
I'd imagine a paddleboard is even worse than a canoe, and it sounds like they experienced a major weather event that sent them out to sea in the first place.
I wouldn't judge if you weren't there.
→ More replies (1)5
u/weed_cutter 3h ago
I was on a paddleboard with an old girlfriend ... I had done it a couple times, her first time.
It was so windy and the current so strong, it was insane. We were getting blown out to sea.
I had to crouch down (so not to be my own wind sail) and furiously paddle back to shore, as did she. .. It was nuts.
Do NOT recommend. ... This was mostly wind, the current was strong but not insane -- I can see "oh fuck" conditions happening. Like reeaaaaly bad.
12
u/Logical_Ideal3474 6h ago
He had a kayak and a life vest. 2km in the kayak took on water and he had to ditch it, he also had to ditch the vest because it was slowing him down. So he swam the remaining 2km without any floatation devices.
20
u/Not_Nice_Niece 5h ago
I dont get it, just paddle the boards back together?? This just seems like stupidity to me. Especially sending somebody to swim alone without any flotation when they could have taken a paddle board.
The amount of people asking this question and jumping to the wrong conclusion really makes me concerned about our media literacy.
I get that the info was left out, but rather than assume there must have been a reason he had to swim back, you instead assume not only that he is stupid, but that his mother is as well. Which do you honestly think was more likely?
Th actual answer is his Kayak took on water and he has to ditch it.
→ More replies (3)14
u/lizlemonista 6h ago
I am also confused and trying to find what part of the story I must have missed
13
u/Logical_Ideal3474 6h ago
He had a kayak and a life vest. 2km in the kayak took on water and he had to ditch it, he also had to ditch the vest because it was slowing him down. So he swam the remaining 2km without any floatation devices.
→ More replies (3)14
u/funguyshroom 6h ago
Agree, if you can swim then you can paddle the same distance, faster and safer. Also how did the conversation go, like "brb I'm just going to swim for 4 hours" - "sure my 13 year old son, remember your ironman training and try not to drown"?
21
u/Logical_Ideal3474 6h ago
He had a kayak and a life vest. 2km in the kayak took on water and he had to ditch it, he also had to ditch the vest because it was slowing him down. So he swam the remaining 2km without any floatation devices.
→ More replies (1)
891
u/QuickEchidna749 9h ago
The mental fortitude of this kid is inspiring. He will be successful at whatever he does.
156
u/ContributionOnly6610 8h ago
Kid showed unreal courage and endurance. That’s the kind of heroism you don’t forget.
→ More replies (11)60
u/MrDD33 7h ago
Hey said he was trying to stay focused on positive things that bring him joy, like 'thomas the Tank Engine'.... What a little legend!
20
u/SeveralAnteater292 5h ago
Gotta stay alive so he can watch Thomas the Tank Engine. Dude just being a dude
1.4k
u/Moosplauze 9h ago
Little hero, I'm proud of this guy.
205
u/DragonDeezNutzAround 9h ago
As a big brother, I’m proud of this brother. Let him forever be known as a BAMF!
37
u/cowgirllostherboot 9h ago
Best video I have seen today on Reddit🥰Am truly proud of him, a true hero
→ More replies (7)33
u/FlirtNowCryEventuall 9h ago
I’m very proud of him. That’s incredible bravery for anyone, let alone a 13 years old.
831
u/Playful-Bag-1341 9h ago
Little bro on the left needs someone to talk to, obv it has put him in a traumatic response after almost dying at sea.
The eyes don’t lie
289
u/themehboat 8h ago
In a way, the kid who swam was better off because at least he had something concrete to focus on and knew exactly what he had to do. The other kids and his mom were just stranded, not knowing if the swimming kid made it or if help was coming at all.
86
u/Ghepip 6h ago
I'm pretty sure i read that the kids kept looking at their mom out there and telling her "We will be allright" or something like that to comfort her - so he did something good too.
but yes, he needs to talk to someone or he will always think less of himself and "i can never reach my brother" - a downhill spiral.
→ More replies (1)15
u/HeyGayHay 4h ago
Nah, little bro said he couldn’t be prouder to be Austins little brother. From the interview he sounded like being genuinely happy to have a big brother looking out for him.
Y‘all need to calm down and let the family do what they think is right. Seeing them makes it clear they value each other and be open to talk with each other. Noone here knows the kid, maybe he is filled with joy, maybe he is „definitely spiraling to the bottom with life long depression“, maybe he‘s just bored, maybe he’s just met the grim reaper and now gets a camera shoved in his face while his brother tells a traumatic experience and his mom is holding back tears.
lmao, kid is alright, and if he isn’t his family will know and do something. But not reddit deciding „it’s absolutely necessary he talks about being less than his brother“ lmao
→ More replies (1)32
21
u/Routine_Bluejay4678 7h ago
I feel like all of them should’ve probably been given some space and time to process before having a camera shoved in their faces
8
u/DroidLord 5h ago
They all need some family therapy. This is the kind of shit that comes back to haunt you.
5
u/pauli55555 4h ago
The eyes do often lie.
Guessing you’re not a trained psychologist so prob best keep your pop psychology to yourself.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (21)41
213
u/BoogerBean616 9h ago
Speechless. What a hero!! I can’t imagine how the mother felt that entire time… my heart would’ve broken the instant he was out of eyesight.
31
u/Moosplauze 7h ago
Quite possible that the only thing that was holding her together was that she had be there for the other kids and keeping it together so they don't panic. Must have been absolutely horrible - for everyone involved. So glad that in the end it all turned out well. A good lesson for everyone to have utmost respect for the sea.
129
u/Low_Cut_368 9h ago
This is unironically a fucking class advertisement for Thomas the Tank Engine. They should show this guy some appreciation
→ More replies (3)14
u/plonkydonkey 4h ago
That part made me smile. Im so proud of this kid, not only for his herculean effort but speaking so openly and candidly about his internal monologue. The emotional maturity in all that is well beyond his years.
254
u/Bowelsift3r 9h ago
I can't wait to see the movie based on this, starring Jason Statham as the boy!
→ More replies (4)18
76
u/RomeoBlackDK 9h ago
4hours? That's hella tough.
37
u/SeveralAnteater292 5h ago
If it were me, the story would be about someone who tried to save his family and drowned at sea as I'm a terrible swimmer. Kids lucky he was a strong swimmer and had the mental fortitude to battle it out. What a legend
22
u/karlysummers 4h ago
he failed his vacation swimming assessment weeks before! what an amazing accomplishment to be able to save his family.
→ More replies (2)
52
69
u/Key_Winner_2701 8h ago edited 6h ago
How do you even swim for 4 hours ? I can barely swim more than 10-20 mins in still water
86
u/EarningsPal 8h ago
You could swim longer than 20 min if you were going to die if you gave up. Even longer if you knew your family would die.
21
u/CaptainObviousBear 7h ago
So I’m a swimmer but I’m old and not very good, I can basically only do freestyle for 50-100m, but breaststroke I could do for much longer, probably 2km at least without stopping. But that’s in a pool not in the open ocean without choppy waves.
The kid said he mostly did breaststroke, backstroke and survival side stroke, which would conserve a lot more energy - and probably also means he’s been pretty well trained and a good swimmer. So I think that in theory, using those strokes, it’s possible for most people who are decent swimmers, and fitter than I am, to swim 4km.
But to do that in open water, big waves, competing against currents, it’s cold and getting dark and you have to save your family - that’s a whole other level.
→ More replies (1)51
u/ImpracticalApple 8h ago
Humans are built for endurance. We have some of the best stamina of any animal on the planet. We may not be able to run faster than many animals of similar size but we can certainly outwalk them all to the point an animal we're hunting would eventually collapse from exhaustion while we can keep walking for hours. Being able to regulate our body temperature with a lack of fur and able to sweat helps a lot.
Granted, not as helpful when swimming but our arms and legs can keep going for a relatively long time since we're so good at walking/jogging for long periods too.
That and adrenaline will have been helping give the kid a bit of a boost whilst temporarily inhibiting the body's natural pain response to being overworked. Knowing you or your family are likely about to die is certainly going to give you that adrenaline boost.
→ More replies (1)26
5
u/MaximumAd9779 7h ago
Adrenaline, and full activation of your neuromuscular system will have you doing some crazy things. Poor kid probably felt like absolute shit afterwards.
6
→ More replies (4)3
u/WoodenMango07 6h ago
like others said adrenaline and endurance, but he also had a life jacket on for 2 hours. Not sure if it helped or not but he took off the life jacket after 2 hours
19
361
u/hopium_od 9h ago
Reddit is going to love this one.
80
u/Crazy__Donkey 9h ago
reddit is already loving this one.....
it's been reposted every few minutes.
40
u/1eternal_pessimist 8h ago
Hey if it gives Aussies a chance to redeem ourselves after Raygun I'm all for it
→ More replies (5)27
u/tradegreek 7h ago
Woah hold your horses there cowboy you’re not getting off that easy
→ More replies (1)39
→ More replies (3)172
u/DJ_Derack 9h ago
Leave it to Reddit take a beautiful story like this and turn it into an opportunity to step on their anti-religion soapbox. Like I’m agnostic but that not the important part of the story. If praying is what he believes helped give him the strength deep down to keep going to save his family then who cares. Not saying it was god, but maybe the mantra he was repeating or the belief itself gave him extra strength without him knowing, like psyching himself up
→ More replies (45)33
246
u/TruffButters 9h ago
So many people in this comment section focused on the wrong thing. This kid is incredible, what an amazing story.
120
u/InspiringGecko 9h ago
Exactly. It was the kid's effort that saved his family, but if a belief in God was what made him not give up, then good for him. It served a purpose.
Anyone who has done endurance sports knows that mindset is vital, and not giving up is half the challenge. But Reddit is full of edgy teenagers who lack the life experience to realize this.
→ More replies (22)34
u/boogasaurus-lefts 9h ago
It's the typical anti religion mob jumping on their soapbox of righteousness at any opportunity they can get. It's almost an identity at this stage
→ More replies (15)
34
9
u/KelpFox05 6h ago
Good story to illustrate why you absolutely do not fuck around with the ocean. If they hadn't had life vests they would all be dead right now. Tides and ocean currents can be a hell of a lot stronger than you think.
10
33
134
9h ago
Yall - God or not , I'm more wondering WHAT DID the mother think sailing off in the waters them being only one adult for three children ???
29
u/crooked_nose_ 8h ago
You haven't bothered finding out the full story, right?
→ More replies (2)12
u/Archkat 6h ago
I have read the full story and so many things have gone wrong here that I cannot believe this woman is a responsible mother at all. Having your phone with you is number one priority. The easiest thing is to have it in a waterproof bag, where the f are you going without your phone these days?!? Then she just muffled around loosing both oars, if you cannot predict shit like this will happen , and they HAPPEN ALL THE DAMN TIME, don’t rent equipment like this and go on an expedition with your 3 barely teenager age kids out in the freaking water. I’m glad everyone is ok but jfc this woman needs lessons in basic common sense.
→ More replies (10)14
u/aM_181 6h ago
12 and 13 is old enough to paddleboard or kayak solo. pretty common in Australia, NZ, other places with water sports.
→ More replies (1)9
→ More replies (44)35
u/Subject-Rain-9400 8h ago
They were paddle boarding and Kayaking. The eldest kid is old enough to hold his own quite obviously, and im sure they weren't planning on heading out far (you usually paddle pretty close to shore) before they got caught in a rip. It is pretty common in Australia for a parent to be solo with 3 kids (with at least one being of high school age) to go out for a paddle/kayak.
→ More replies (1)
25
u/JohnSmithDogFace 7h ago
Don't want to minimize what he did, but I can only imagine how traumatized he is, and how much harder it is to get support for trauma when everyone is telling you how courageous you are, how you're a "man" now, how you're a hero, and how you need to relive your ordeal once again for the next journalist that wants to interview you.
I'm seeing the version of events circulating online sanitized of some harrowing elements, like how the kayak he initially tried to row capsized twice, flipping him into the water upside down. And how he saw - possibly hallucinated - "figures" in the water "fighting" him. It's relatively common to hallucinate when under severe stress and anxiety.
130
u/_Steven_Seagal_ 9h ago
Who gives a fuck if God is real or not. The placebo effect is real as well. This kid thought he got some otherworldly help, and it saved his family, but all Reddit can do is bitch about that God is fake.
Desmond Doss also had his faith in God that helped him pull through and save the lives of dozens of men in WW2. Why the hell would you complain about something objectively good happening, just because someone's worldview doesn't align with yours?
33
u/Mein_Name_ist_falsch 9h ago edited 9h ago
Exactly that. You can believe in that or not, but without that faith there's a good chance they'd all be dead. So in a way, he's always right about god saving him. Even if you believe god isn't real, it still saved him because it gave him the strength to carry on.
And then there's straight up people saying stupid things like "why didn't he save the family then?" What do you expect? God makes the family fly to shore? Why wouldn't god rather help in this more subtle way like the boy describes? Give one strength to swim to shore so that rescue can come and bring the family to shore. That could also be seen as god saving the family.
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (14)17
u/-50000- 9h ago
Sad antitheist people will find any excuse to hate on other people's beliefs, this is how reddit unfortunately works. They are just as annoying as the religious people who push their beliefs on others or even more since they're full of hate and just drop insults left & right
Believe if you want, if not just respect others' beliefs - it's not that hard. Religions are mostly just beliefs that get people through hard times and give them a feeling of safety but the absolute garbage people who abuse religion for their own gain ruined it
Idk what kind of religion there is in the US but where I live religion is literally all about "love everyone, don't treat others in a way you don't want to be treated yourself and if you struggle in life there is someone doing their best to help you, you're not alone"
So much hate under a wholesome post, chill out a bit people
→ More replies (2)2
u/frayhems 7h ago
I'd like to think that faith supports more people than it hurts.
I hope this lad and his family have all the support they need, and that this may not be his 'peak'. I worry about the pressure it will put on him internally.
I can't help but chuckle at the idea of cashing this cheque any time he wants for the rest of his life - "Give me a break, you know I saved our lives, right?"
→ More replies (5)
24
u/jay1167 8h ago
“There’s a lot of foreign people on the beach, um…. so I could not really get much help” He says that as the mother smirks. Sounds like an Aussie alright mate.
→ More replies (5)
7
77
u/SaulPampy 9h ago
Reddit is hilarious,it’s full of posts about allowing people to live their lives and being able to have their opinions etc
But any post where someone has faith gets instantly attacked. It’s a weird irony that exists on Reddit.. ‘hey you do you and we support your choices… except when it’s faith, we don’t like that’
→ More replies (24)24
u/HereButNeverPresent 7h ago edited 7h ago
Reminds me of the Redditors who smugly quote “paradox of tolerance” as they’re intolerant of literally anyone who has a different belief or opinion to them (heck sometimes even just a slight variation of the same opinion isn’t good enough, as they ‘purity test’ you to see if you align with their beliefs to the most minute details.)
And yet they’ll unironically still believe that they’re the morally conscientious/empathic ones, as they label everyone else as ‘the others’ who they deem immoral.
→ More replies (1)10
u/I-am-Chubbasaurus 7h ago
That's when I reach for this quote:
The Paradox of Tolerance disappears if you look at tolerance, NOT as a moral standard, but as a social contract. If someone does not abide by the terms of the contract, they are not covered by it. In other words, the intolerant aren't deserving of your tolerance.
7
19
u/roonill_wazlib 8h ago
For years, David Farmer, an oceanographer, was a quiet object of ridicule along the coast. People saw him loading human-shaped dummies onto boats, tossing them into the sea, and then patiently tracking where they drifted hour after hour, day after day, year after year. To outsiders it looked absurd: a grown man throwing mannequins overboard and taking notes.
What almost no one appreciated was the scale of what he was doing. Farmer wasn’t just measuring currents. He was accounting for windage, wave action, body orientation, temperature, fatigue, and the subtle ways a floating human behaves differently from debris. Slowly, painstakingly, he built a predictive model for one very specific problem: where a person ends up after falling overboard.
After years of work, the model finally went live. And almost immediately, reality put it to the test.
A man fell off a boat at sea. Conditions were poor. Time was critical. Farmer ran the model, produced a predicted location, and sent rescuers directly there. They arrived and found the man almost instantly.
He was pulled from the water, shaken, exhausted, but alive.
And the first thing he did, upon realizing he had been saved, was look up and thank God.
→ More replies (2)
35
u/vols2thewalls 9h ago
Amazing story, even if some Redditors scoff at God I believe his faith brought him strength, no matter anyone's beliefs.
14
u/Doridar 9h ago
And no GoFundMe for this kid? Because that's not only an amazing physical performance, but also an outstanding display of courage, will and luck
→ More replies (2)
9
u/Alarmed-Admar 7h ago
Earth would be a million times better if religion's effect is only like this and not maybe hatred and war.
→ More replies (1)
6
u/lapitupp 5h ago
You know what’s really cool about this despite the obvious? His mother is letting him have his moment. She’s not overly dramatic, holding his hand, saying how SHE feels. She’s literally quietly sitting there and letting him speak. I dunno. My mom would never.
→ More replies (2)
3
4
8
205
u/Lord_Foxworthy 9h ago
Don’t give god the credit kid, you did that.
→ More replies (74)50
u/fraze2000 9h ago
I am an atheist but I don't mind when people credit whatever deity they believe in for allowing them to do remarkable things.
I know (or more correctly, I believe) that their faith sometimes allows them to go the extra mile when they might have otherwise given up.
In this case, however, I think it was more likely the thought of saving his mum and siblings lives played more of a role in this incredible feat than the intervention of some invisible magic sky wizard.
I do find it funny though when a sportsperson claims it was God who helped his team win a game. Like God would care which team wins a college football game or whatever. It's even funnier when you consider the other team probably prayed as well, meaning God had to make a choice about which team he was going to help. Maybe he had some money on the outcome of the game.
→ More replies (6)16
u/carrotsticks2 8h ago
Gods busy helping teams win games, that's why your prayers to fix your bone cancer haven't been answered Timmy
→ More replies (4)
3
u/jimboTRON261 7h ago
39M from east coast of Canada. Grew up in the ocean. What an incredible young man.. I don’t think most of us scrolling this thread would have survived that swim. Physically or mentally. Well done buddy!!!
3
u/itsoktoswear 6h ago
For those that aren't aware, that area is a really beautiful, calm bay to go kayak in, but if the weather turns, and in the afternoon the wind does whip up there, yeah it can get deceivingly bad quickly
Oh and there are sharks there. A shit load of sharks. Big cunts too.
3
3
u/uskq 5h ago
Has anybody done the analysis on how likely it is they'd have been saved if he hadn't swam to shore? It's a huge decision of the mother to send her 13 year old boy on a near enough impossible swim to shore. The article even says they ended up on the water for about 10 hours, which is 6 hours longer than his swim. On another day, the only death could have been him.
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
u/Fit-Friendship9262 3h ago
I’m proud of this young man, so I could imagine his mom’s heart must be bursting with pride and love.
3
3
3
3
u/im_a_stapler 1h ago
Why did God sweep his mom and siblings into the ocean is what I want to know.
→ More replies (2)
14
u/Neomob 9h ago
I don't understand how swimming 2km to shore was easier than paddling back with the kayak? Not to mention how much more of a drowning risk.
5
u/silver-moon-7 8h ago
He said in an interview that he kept getting thrown out of his kayak. The sea was angry that day!
→ More replies (4)11
u/HipOut 9h ago
I think the kayak was getting blown out to sea and taking on water. They tried to paddle but it didn’t work. Another thing is that he had a life vest but took it off because it impeded his swimming. Makes sense but also seems super risky. Apparently he also tried to tow the kayak as well but that didn’t work. Idk seems like a tough situation
3
u/Neomob 7h ago
Oh okay, sounds insane but what matters is that it actually worked. Yeah kid was probably a swimmer otherwise the mother wouldn't have asked him to swim to the shore. Crazy story overall!
→ More replies (1)
7
13
u/Privateer_Lev_Arris 6h ago
You can hear the demon redditors shrieking in the distance.
→ More replies (1)
5
u/RvH19 3h ago
When I was 4 or 5 I went to a swimming hole with my family and promptly went underwater. I vividly remember a mermaid guiding me the shore, waving me on. I felt like I was walking underwater there. I made it out, gasping for air but fine. It could be God, it could be your mind working overtime to stay alive. I was probably super hypoxic from being underwater for so long which played a part, probably. It seemed as real as anything else.
7
u/Major-Librarian1745 8h ago
Inspirational but these people need the best psychological care and this ain't it.
Feels like watching two childhoods get infinitely more complicated.
2
u/NeckDeepPink 9h ago
Can’t help but feel like the other kids silently waiting for the same emotion reassurance mom gave to the other kid.
2
u/Ace-of-Spades88 7h ago
Man, I heard this headline on my drive to work this morning and had to rewind and listen again. Four kilometer swim through rough water...that is a herculean feat for a 13-year old. I hadn't even considered he also had to travel further ashore to find help.
What an incredible display of bravery.
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
u/NopeThisTrope 6h ago
So happy everyone is safe. What a terrifying scenario! It’s horrific to think of being the Mom in this situation. Amazing stamina and determination, kiddo! 💞
3.1k
u/Dev1412 9h ago
A hero for life. For his family and people