This one comes from Zara Christoforou in Poole.
Never judge a book by its cover!
To the group of teenagers in Broadstone by the library yesterday, I cannot thank you enough for rushing over to help my elderly mum who had a fall.
She had originally crossed the road because there was a large group of you and she was a little scared, but when she turned to smile at you, she said you all smiled back, and that’s when she lost her footing and fell. But you all rushed over and got help. Your parents should be incredibly proud of you.
Also a massive thank you to the ladies that stopped and helped my mum and got her a drink and some chocolate to keep her going, and also a thank you to the man that rang for an ambulance…they said it would take 2 hours for the ambulance to get to her, and some of you stayed with her.
Sadly, my mum had smashed her phone in the fall and was unable to contact her loved ones, so I really appreciate each and every one of you that helped her and would like to thank you personally, so please, if you see this, get in contact.
And this one comes from Australia
13-Year-Old Swims Four Hours Through Massive Waves to Save Family Swept Out to Sea
A 13-year-old boy has been hailed as a hero after swimming for around four hours through “massive” waves to raise the alarm when his family was swept out to sea off the coast of Western Australia.
Austin Appelbee was kayaking with his mother and two younger siblings on Friday when strong winds rapidly picked up, leaving the family stranded far from shore with no means of communication. As conditions worsened, Austin’s mother, Joanne, made the agonising decision to ask her eldest son to attempt the long swim back to land in the hope he could get help.
The family, from Perth, had been using an inflatable kayak and paddleboards when they ran into trouble. With the kayak taking on water and the group drifting further out to sea, Austin initially set off on the inflatable before abandoning it. He even removed his life jacket because it was slowing him down.
Speaking to local broadcaster ABC, Austin described battling exhaustion and fear as he pushed on through the waves.
“I was very puffed out, but I couldn’t feel how tired I was,” he said. “I was more thinking of a lot of things that were happening in my life. At one point I was thinking of Thomas the Tank Engine, trying to get the happiest things in my head… not the bad things that’ll distract me. At this time the waves are massive and I have no life jacket on. Anyway, I just keep swimming.”
After finally reaching shore, Austin’s ordeal was still not over. He collapsed on the beach and then forced himself to sprint a further two kilometres to reach a phone and raise the alarm.
Meanwhile, Joanne and Austin’s siblings, Beau, 12, and eight-year-old Grace, were left clinging to a paddleboard wearing life jackets, waiting for help. They spent around 10 hours at sea as darkness fell and conditions deteriorated.
“We kept positive, we were singing and we were joking and we were treating it as a bit of a game,” Joanne said. “But when the sun started to go down, that’s when it was getting very choppy. Very big waves.”
She added: “Ten hours we were out there, and definitely eight and a half of them were the scariest we’ve ever been through.”
A search helicopter eventually found Joanne and her two younger children at around 8.30pm. By then, they had drifted 14 kilometres (nine miles) from Quindalup, where they had originally entered the water.
Police praised Austin’s actions, crediting his courage and determination with saving lives. “The actions of the 13-year-old boy cannot be praised highly enough; his determination and courage ultimately saved the lives of his mother and siblings,” said Police Inspector James Bradley.
Joanne described the decision to send Austin for help as the hardest of her life but said she was overwhelmed with pride.
“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. “To keep going for so long… he’s absolutely amazing. Me and his dad are super proud.”
Austin survived the ordeal largely unscathed, needing only a crutch to help with sore legs. For his family, the outcome is simple.
“We made it, we’re alive, and that’s the most important thing,” Joanne said. “I have all three babies. All three of them made it. That was all that mattered.”
