{"id":18968,"date":"2026-02-05T08:34:41","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T08:34:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=18968"},"modified":"2026-02-05T08:34:41","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T08:34:41","slug":"wa-work-safety-watchdog-makes-initial-enquiries-after-family-who-hired-kayak-and-paddleboards-washed-out-to-sea-western-australia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=18968","title":{"rendered":"WA work safety watchdog makes \u2018initial enquiries\u2019 after family who hired kayak and paddleboards washed out to sea | Western Australia"},"content":{"rendered":"

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WorkSafe WA is making \u2018initial enquiries\u2019 into the hotel that hired out a kayak and inflatable paddleboards to a family who was washed out to sea<\/a> and later rescued.<\/p>\n

The Appelbee family was on holiday in Quindalup, 200km (125 miles) south of Perth, when strong winds pushed their vessels offshore from Geographe Bay on Friday afternoon.<\/p>\n

Joanne Appelbee, the children\u2019s mother, made \u201cone of the hardest decisions\u201d<\/a> to send her 13-year-old son, Austin, to swim four hours through tumultuous waters to raise the alarm.<\/p>\n

After the boy made it safely to shore and alerted emergency services, his mother, brother Beau, 12, and sister Grace, eight, were found at about 8.30pm, drifting in the ocean and clinging to a paddleboard about 14km (9 miles) offshore.<\/p>\n

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map showing location of Quindalup<\/a><\/figure>\n

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On Thursday a WorkSafe WA spokesperson said the group was aware of the incident although they had not been \u201cformally notified\u201d and were \u201ccurrently making initial enquiries\u201d.<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (Amsa) said in a statement on Thursday that it had been alerted to the incident and was making inquiries.<\/p>\n

Club Wyndham Resort, where the family was staying, denied any wrongdoing in a statement to media on Wednesday evening.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs our guests are free to use resort equipment on a complimentary basis until late in the day, our staff had no reason to be alarmed,\u201d a spokesperson said.<\/p>\n

Sign up: AU Breaking News email<\/sub><\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cGuests are aware that the beach is outside the resort grounds, is unpatrolled, and that there is no direct view of the beach from the resort.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, as a matter of course, the resort is conducting a safety review to minimise the risk of any similar incident occurring in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

The resort has not responded to Guardian Australia\u2019s request for further comment.<\/p>\n

Prof Rob Brander at the UNSW beach safety research group said people often assume it\u2019s safe to go into the ocean when it is calm and there are no breaking waves.<\/p>\n

He said that is a problematic assumption, considering one of the main reasons why water close to the coastline is calm is from strong offshore winds.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s literally blowing the ocean surface flat and creating small waves that are moving offshore,\u201d he said. \u201cThis can create a surface drift that can take you a long way offshore.\u201d<\/p>\n

Surf Life Saving (SLS) WA general manager Chris Peck agreed and said \u201cyou don\u2019t need waves, swell and rips for it to be a hazardous situation\u201d.<\/p>\n

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He said he felt \u201cpositive\u201d to be having a conversation about a family \u201cstill alive and together\u201d \u2013 but emphasised the importance of beach safety.<\/p>\n

He encouraged beachgoers to consider finding out where their nearest patrolled beach is and to stay between the red and yellow flags, but acknowledged it can be difficult.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re in doubt, don\u2019t go out,\u201d he stressed.<\/p>\n

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Brander also said beachgoers should be wary that inflatable watercraft are dangerous for use in the ocean.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like putting up a sail,\u201d he said. \u201cThe problem is inflatables stick above the surface of the water, and the wind just grabs that, especially if you\u2019re standing or kneeling, you\u2019re the sail.\u201d<\/p>\n

He suggested taking a few minutes \u201cjust thinking about beach safety\u201d before you enter the water, considering what you would do if something went wrong and who you would contact.<\/p>\n

Peck agreed and said when people buy inflatables they should consider the difference between using them in a pool versus the ocean.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe ocean is the most dynamic environment you can enter, because it changes every second,\u201d he said. \u201cJust because it\u2019s flat and it looks clear in the water and the sun\u2019s out, doesn\u2019t mean that the wind\u2019s not blowing offshore and you won\u2019t get pushed out.\u201d<\/p>\n