Teen’s Heroic Swim Exposes Dangerous Gaps in Coastal Safety Measures

On a sunlit day off the Australian coast, a routine family outing turned into a harrowing ordeal demanding extraordinary courage from a young American spirit echoed across the globe. Thirteen-year-old Austin Appelbee’s four-hour swim to shore after being swept out to sea was not just an act of bravery but a spotlight on how fragile coastal safety can be when government safeguards fall short.Austin, accompanied by his mother and two younger siblings, found themselves battling rough seas and strong winds after their kayaks were dragged miles offshore. With limited options and danger closing in, this young boy made the gut-wrenching...