A 13-year-old boy swam for hours through rough ocean waters to save his family after they were swept out to sea off Australia’s coast, a heroic effort police say saved his mother and two younger siblings.

Austin Appelbee recalled ditching his life jacket so it wouldn’t restrict his swimming before he set off alone on a nearly four-hour-long, 2.5-mile (4-kilometer) swim that saw him battle huge waves until he ultimately reached shore and triggered a rescue that saved his mother, Joanne Appelbee, 47, his brother Beau, 12, and his sister Grace, 8, police said.

"The waves are massive, and I have no life jacket on.… I just kept thinking, ‘Just keep swimming, just keep swimming,’" Austin said on Tuesday. "And then I finally I made it to shore, and I hit the bottom of the beach and I just collapsed."

The family, visiting from Perth, was using rented kayaks and paddle boards near Quindalup in Western Australia around midday Friday when strong winds and rough seas dragged them farther from shore. Austin initially tried to paddle for help on an inflatable kayak, but abandoned it when it began taking on water.

LA DEPUTIES CAUGHT ON CAMERA RACING INTO FOGGY OCEAN TO RESCUE DISORIENTED PARAGLIDERS

A search helicopter later found Joanne and the two younger children clinging to a paddleboard while wearing life jackets around 8:30 p.m. They had drifted about nine miles (14 kilometers) from shore and spent up to 10 hours in the water, police said.

"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 Appelbee said sending her eldest son for help was the hardest decision she has ever made.

MOTHER JUMPS INTO WATER TO SAVE 4-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER WHO FELL BETWEEN CRUISE SHIP AND DOCK

"One of the hardest decisions I ever had to make was to say to Austin: ‘Try and get to shore and get some help,’" she told Australian Broadcasting Corp.

She said the group tried to stay positive as conditions worsened, but fear set in as night approached and help had not yet arrived.

"We kept positive, we were singing, and we were joking and … we were treating it as a bit of a game until the sun started to go down and that’s when it was getting very choppy. Very big waves," she said.

By the time rescuers arrived, all three were shivering, and Beau had lost feeling in his legs due to the cold, his mother said.

"I have three babies. All three made it. That was all that mattered," she said.

All four family members were medically evaluated and did not require hospitalization.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A wild bull elephant trampled and killed a 65-year-old tourist at a national park in Thailand on Monday, according to park officials.

The tourist was taking a morning walk with his wife when an elephant named Oyewan trampled him at Khao Yai National Park, national park chief Chaiya Huayhongthong told AFP.

Park rangers managed to scare the animal away, which allowed the tourist’s wife to escape, Chaiya said.

"He was the third person killed by Oyewan," he said, adding that authorities will meet on Friday to decide on how to deal with the elephant.

ARKANSAS MAN, 72, MAULED BY 70-POUND BEAR, HOSPITALIZED WITH 'EXTENSIVE' INJURIES

"We will probably decide to relocate him or change his behavior," he told the outlet, without elaborating.

The tourist killed was identified as Jirathachai Jiraphatboonyathorn from Lopburi province, the Bangkok Post reported.

MASSIVE GREAT WHITE SHARK DETECTED BY RESEARCHERS OFF MISSISSIPPI COAST IN RARE GULF MIGRATION

Fox News Digital reached out to Khao Yai National Park but did not immediately hear back.

Wild elephants have caused an estimated 227 human fatalities between 2012 and 2024 in Thailand, The Nation reported, citing a report from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation.

The elephant population in Thailand has ballooned since 2015, rising from 334 to nearly 800 last year, AFP reported. Authorities have been trying to manage the population by giving female elephants contraceptive vaccines.

Rough surf and heavy winds have exposed the remnants of a 19th-century shipwreck from beneath the sands of a New Jersey beach.

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A couple is suing an Orlando, Florida, fertility clinic after it was discovered their baby does not share their DNA.

The post VIDEO — Lawsuit: Florida Couple Claims IVF Clinic Error Led to Birth of Their Non-Biological Baby appeared first on Breitbart.

Colombia’s state-owned airline Satena confirmed commercial flight HK-4709 crashed after disappearing near the Colombian-Venezuelan border on Wednesday, killing all 15 people on board, including a Colombian politician.

The airline said the Beechcraft 1900, operating the Cúcuta-Ocaña route, departed at 11:42 a.m. local time and was scheduled to land at approximately 12:05 p.m.

It's last contact with air traffic control was at 11:54 a.m., and it would have exhausted its flight endurance time at 2 p.m.

COLOMBIAN SINGER YEISON JIMÉNEZ DIES IN PLANE CRASH HOURS BEFORE SCHEDULED PERFORMANCE

When officials realized the flight had lost contact, Satena said aircraft from the Colombian Aerospace Force, National Army, and charter flight company Searca initiated aerial overflight operations in the areas where the last available information on the aircraft was recorded.

The aircraft also searched along the missing plane’s planned route.

Just before 5:30 p.m., Satena confirmed the plane crashed leaving no survivors, citing information from the president of the Community Action Board of the Curásica rural district in the municipality of La Playa de Belén.

The two crew members were identified as Capt. Miguel Vanegas and Capt. Jose de la Vega.

BRETT JAMES, ‘JESUS, TAKE THE WHEEL’ SONGWRITER, DIES IN NORTH CAROLINA PLANE CRASH

The 13 passengers were identified as: María Álvarez Barbosa; Carlos Salcedo; Rolando Penaloza Gualdron; María Díaz Rodríguez; Maira Avendano Rincon; Anayisel Quintero; Karen Parales Vera; Anirley Julio Osorio; Gineth Rincon; Diogenes Quintero Amaya; Natalia Acosta Salcedo; Maira Sánchez Criado; and Juan Pacheco Mejía.

Diogenes Quintero Amaya was a member of the House of Representatives of Colombia, according to a report from The City Paper Bogotá. Carlos Salcedo was a candidate for Colombia’s House of Representatives.

"From Satena, we extend our most sincere condolences, with profound sorrow and full solidarity, to the families of our passengers and crew members who lost their lives in this accident," the airline wrote in a statement. 

Satena added it will deploy all of its resources to provide humanitarian assistance to the victims' families and to "clarify the circumstances of what occurred."

The airline is heavily used by government officials and tourists, and connects the capital with small regional airports in the capitals of Colombia's 32 states.

The area where the plane disappeared, near Colombia’s border with Venezuela, is known for its mountainous terrain and poor visibility.

Local newspaper El Tiempo reported there have been heavy rains for weeks between Cucuta and the Catatumbo region, which has seen recent violence — including targeted killings, kidnappings, and forced displacement of civilians.

A female skier was viciously mauled by a snow leopard on Friday after approaching the predator too closely for a photo, according to chilling footage of the incident.

The encounter, which left the woman’s face severely bloodied, occurred around 7 p.m. in Fuyun County, along China’s northern border with Mongolia, according to Jam Press.

Footage shows a woman, who reportedly edged as close as 10 feet to the leopard, lying motionless in the snow as the predator hovered nearby after the mauling. Witnesses then appeared to help guide her away as blood poured from her face. 

Local reports noted that the woman miraculously survived partly because her helmet helped prevent more serious harm.

OREGON CHILD ATTACKED BY COYOTE DURING GAME OF HIDE-AND-SEEK IN BACKYARD, STATE OFFICIALS SOUND ALARM

Authorities previously issued warnings after multiple people reported animal sightings near the hotel the day before, according to Jam Press. The leopard was believed to be lingering around the area due to a lack of food.

Reports indicated that a skier spotted the leopard while making her way back to the hotel. When she was unable to get a good angle for a photo, she reportedly kept approaching until the leopard pounced and mauled her face. The predator was eventually driven off by a ski instructor waving his poles.

The injured skier was transported to a local hospital for treatment and was reported to be in stable condition. 

BEAR REMAINS UNDER CALIFORNIA HOME AFTER WEEKS OF FAILED REMOVAL ATTEMPTS

In the days leading up to the attack, authorities had warned visitors of multiple snow leopard sightings in the area. While snow leopards on humans are historically rare due to the animals’ shy and elusive nature, officials noted that the big cats still possess "aggressive tendencies" and urged tourists to avoid lingering or approaching them for photos.

"Recently, snow leopard activity has been detected in Gem Valley, Keketuohai," the warning said, according to Jam Press. "Snow leopards are large predators with strong aggressive tendencies. When passing through this area, please move quickly and do not linger. Do not get out of your vehicle or approach to take photos, and never walk alone in the surrounding area." 

KNIFE-WEILDING NUT ALLEGEDLY ASKED CHRISTIAN HIS RELIGION – THEN STABBED HIM AND DOG BEFORE POLICE SHOT HIM

Tourists staying at a nearby guesthouse confirmed that they saw a leopard in the area prior to the attack, according to the outlet.

"We saw it last night, a few kilometers from where the attack took place, but we can't confirm if it's the same snow leopard," one witness said.

China is home to the largest population of wild snow leopards in the world, according to the Snow Leopard Trust, with the country harboring the majority of the global population.

An investigation into the attack is ongoing.  

A 12-year-old Australian boy died after a brutal shark attack in Sydney Harbor, his family confirmed Saturday. 

Nico Antic had been fighting for his life since Jan. 18, when he was attacked while swimming at a popular cliff-jumping spot known as Jump Rock near Shark Beach in the eastern Sydney suburb of Vaucluse. 

His family announced Saturday that he had died.

"We are heartbroken to share that our son, Nico, has passed away," Nico’s parents, Lorena and Juan, said in a statement. "Nico was a happy, friendly, and sporty young boy with the most kind and generous spirit. He was always full of life and that’s how we’ll remember him."

SURFER SAYS SHARK ATTACK FELT 'LIKE BEING HIT BY A CAR' AS BOARD BITTEN IN HALF: REPORTS

They also thanked first responders and medical staff at Sydney Children’s Hospital in Randwick for their efforts and members of the community for their support.

A GoFundMe campaign launched by a family friend had raised more than $266,000 as of Saturday evening.

FOURTH SHARK ATTACK IN THREE DAYS ROCKS AUSTRALIA AS AUTHORITIES CLOSE BEACHES AND DEPLOY DRUMLINES

According to police, the attack happened around 4:20 p.m. Jan. 18, after Antic jumped from a 20-foot ledge into the water. He sustained severe injuries to both legs, believed to have been caused by a large shark.

His three friends immediately jumped into the water, pulled him to shore and called for help. Antic was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. 

Local media reported at the time that he had lost both legs.

SURFER SAYS SHARK ATTACK FELT "LIKE BEING HIT BY A CAR" AS BOARD BITTEN IN HALF: REPORTS

The tragedy is among a surge of shark incidents across Australia. Dozens of beaches were closed this week after four shark attacks in mere days.

Australia averages roughly 20 shark attacks a year, with fewer than three proving fatal, according to Reuters.

Fox News Digital's Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.

A surfer in Australia escaped a shark attack with minor injuries on Tuesday, marking the fourth shark attack off the country’s most populous state in just three days.

The shark struck around 9 a.m. at Point Plomer, about 290 miles north of Sydney, damaging the 39-year-old man’s surfboard, officials said. The surfer suffered only minor cuts.

"The board seemed to take most of the impact," Matt Worrall, captain of the Kempsey–Crescent Head Surf Life Saving Club, told Australian Broadcasting Corp. "He made his own way into shore where he was assisted by locals."

Bystanders drove the surfer to a hospital, where he was treated and later released.

FISHERMAN SURVIVES NEAR-FATAL SHARK ATTACK WITH OWN LIFESAVING CARE, INSTINCTS THAT KEPT HIM ALIVE

The latest incident follows a string of attacks along the New South Wales coast. On Sunday and Monday, a man and a boy suffered critical leg injuries in separate attacks near Sydney, while another boy escaped unharmed after a shark bit his surfboard.

Authorities closed beaches along New South Wales’ northern coast and in northern Sydney, saying the closures would remain in place for at least 48 hours. Electronic drumlines designed to alert officials to the presence of large sharks were deployed offshore.

"If anyone's thinking of heading into the surf this morning anywhere along the northern beaches, think again. We have such poor water quality that’s really conducive to some bull shark activity," Surf Life Saving NSW chief executive Steve Pearce said.

"If you're thinking about going for a swim, just go to a local pool because at this stage, we’re advising that beaches are unsafe," Peace added.

MINNESOTA WOMAN KILLED IN US VIRGIN ISLANDS SHARK ATTACK

Authorities believe bull sharks are likely responsible for several of the attacks around Sydney, noting that recent heavy rainfall has increased murky freshwater runoff into Sydney Harbor.

One of the most serious attacks happened Sunday when a 12-year-old boy was attacked after jumping from a 20-foot ledge known as Jump Rock near Shark Beach in eastern Sydney. Police said the boy survived only because friends leaped into the water and pulled him to shore. Local media reported he lost both legs.

"He is in for the fight of his life now, and the actions of emergency services yesterday gave him that chance," said Superintendent Joseph McNulty of the New South Wales Police Marine Area Command.

An 11-year-old boy escaped unharmed Monday after a shark bit his surfboard at Dee Why Beach, and later that evening a surfer in his 20s was bitten on the leg at North Steyne Beach and hospitalized in critical condition.

Sydney’s northern beaches, including Dee Why and North Steyne, remained closed. Officials said it was unclear whether the attacks occurred near shark netting. Pearce said the Point Plomer area is isolated and does not have nets.

Dee Why Beach is near the site where a 57-year-old surfer was killed by a suspected great white shark last September. In November, a 25-year-old Swiss tourist was killed and her partner seriously injured in a separate attack north of Sydney.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A 12-year-old Australian boy was fighting for his life after suffering catastrophic injuries in a shark attack in Sydney Harbor, surviving only because his friends leaped from a cliff and dragged him back to shore, authorities said.

The attack happened around 4:20 p.m. Sunday after the boy jumped from a 20-foot ledge known as Jump Rock near Shark Beach in the eastern Sydney suburb of Vaucluse, police said in a statement. Police said the boy suffered severe injuries to both legs from what is believed to have been "a large shark."

His three friends immediately jumped into the water and pulled him to shore, actions authorities said likely saved his life.

"The actions of his mates who have gone into the water to pull him out have been nothing but brave," said Superintendent Joseph McNulty of the New South Wales Police Marine Area Command, calling the injuries "very confronting" for the young rescuers to witness.

MINNESOTA WOMAN KILLED IN US VIRGIN ISLANDS SHARK ATTACK

Local media reports said the boy lost both legs in the attack.

"He is in for the fight of his life now, and the actions of emergency services yesterday gave him that chance," McNulty said.

The attack was one of three shark encounters reported in the Sydney area in just over 24 hours.

SURFER SAYS SHARK ATTACK FELT 'LIKE BEING HIT BY A CAR' AS BOARD BITTEN IN HALF: REPORTS

On Monday evening, a surfer in his 20s was bitten on the leg by a shark off North Steyne Beach in the northern suburb of Manly. Bystanders pulled him from the water before he was taken to a hospital in critical condition, police said.

Earlier Monday, an 11-year-old boy escaped unharmed after a shark bit into his surfboard at Dee Why Beach, also north of Manly.

Authorities believe bull sharks may be responsible for at least the first two attacks. Police said recent heavy rainfall had increased murky freshwater runoff into Sydney Harbor, conditions known to heighten bull shark activity.

Sydney’s northern beaches, including North Steyne and Dee Why, remained closed as a precaution. All three locations have shark netting, though officials said it was not immediately clear whether the attacks occurred near those barriers.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

"Oh baby. Don’t move. There is like a 2.5-meter python on you."

An Australian woman woke up in the middle of the night to discover a massive carpet python coiled across her chest after the snake slithered into her second-story bedroom in Brisbane, Queensland.

Rachel Bloor said she initially believed the heavy weight on her stomach and chest was her dog lying on top of her. But when she reached out under the covers, she felt something smooth move beneath her hand and realized it was not her pet.

"To my horror, I realized it wasn’t my dog," Bloor told the BBC.

550-POUND BEAR FINALLY EVICTED FROM CALIFORNIA HOME AFTER BIZARRE STRATEGY ENDS MONTHLONG ORDEAL

The 2.5-meter, or roughly 8-foot, snake had made its way into her bedroom Monday night, according to the report.

Bloor said she immediately woke her husband and asked him to turn on the lights.

"He goes, ‘Oh baby. Don’t move. There is like a 2.5-meter python on you,’" she recalled.

Her first concern, Bloor said, was getting the family dogs out of the room before anything escalated.

"I thought if my Dalmatian realized that there’s a snake there, it is gonna be carnage," she said.

After her husband removed the dogs, Bloor carefully worked her way out from beneath the covers.

LARGE BURMESE PYTHON ON VIDEO GETTING PULLED FROM FLORIDA NEIGHBORHOOD TREE: 'IT WAS PRETTY DANGEROUS’

"I sort of side-shuffled out," she said.

Rather than calling a professional snake catcher, Bloor said she stayed calm and ushered the large reptile out of the bedroom herself through a window.

"I grabbed him," she said, adding that the python "didn’t seem overly freaked out."

"He sort of just wobbled in my hand," she said.

Bloor suspects the snake entered through plantation shutters on her window and crawled onto the bed while she slept.

"It was that big that even though it had been curled up on me, part of its tail was still out the shutter," she said.

FLORIDA WOMAN WINS ANNUAL PYTHON CHALLENGE WITH RECORD SNAKE HAUL

The snake was identified as a carpet python, a non-venomous constrictor commonly found in Australia’s coastal regions.

Despite the frightening encounter, Bloor said she was relieved it was not another animal.

"Toads freak me out," she said.

Snake catcher Kurt Whyte told ABC News that snake activity has increased with breeding season over and eggs beginning to hatch.

"Obviously, with this hot weather, we’re seeing plenty of them getting out and about and basking in this sun," Whyte said.

Whyte added that while snake populations have not necessarily increased, sightings are becoming more common as housing developments expand into Australian bushland.

"They have got to find places to live, and our backyards are offering the perfect habitat," he said.

He warned that common household features could provide easy access for snakes seeking shelter.

"Unfortunately, the gaps in our garage doors… provide the perfect entry points for a snake," Whyte said.

The UK government has unveiled a strategy to phase out animal experiments in scientific research. Announced on 11 November 2025 by Science Minister Lord Patrick Vallance, the plan, titled ‘Replacing animals in […]

The post Proof that animal experiments are illogical, unscientific, pointless and dangerous first appeared on The Expose.