, Feb. 4 -- year-old boy has been widely praised for his courage after swimming for hours through rough seas to get help for his mother and two siblings who were swept out to sea off the coast of Western Australia.

Police said the family were paddle boarding and kayaking in Geographe Bay on Friday when strong winds blew their inflatables off course.

As conditions worsened, the teenager set off toward shore to raise the alarm, but his kayak began taking on water, forcing him to swim the rest of the way.

The boy swam about 4km to reach land and alert authorities, triggering a large-scale search by marine rescue teams. He managed to raise the alarm by 6:00pm local time, reports BBC.

Rescue crews later found the boy's 47-year-old mother, ...