A HERO’S HEART: KING CHARLES III SALUTES 13-YEAR-OLD AUSTIN APPELBEE
What began as a simple family day by the sea turned into a nightmare of raging waves and freezing currents. At just 13, Austin Appelbee faced the unimaginable: his mother and siblings swept far out into the ocean, clinging to paddleboards, lives hanging by a thread.

With no time for fear, Austin made the gut-wrenching choice—he shed his life jacket to swim faster. For four grueling hours, he battled 4km of treacherous waters, whispering to himself: “Not today… I have to keep going.” Exhausted, collapsing on shore, he still summoned the strength to alert rescuers, saving his entire family.
His “superhuman” courage reached Buckingham Palace. King Charles III honored this young hero, a powerful salute to bravery born of pure love.

Austin humbly says, “I’m not a hero—I just did what I had to.” But the world knows: true heroes are made when love defies the impossible.
One boy. One impossible swim. One unbreakable family bond.