Welcome to the Good News Roundup for February 09, 2026
13yo Boy Swims for Hours to Save Mum & Siblings Swept Out to Sea
It’s the story that has made global headlines, 13-year-old West Australian boy Austin Appelbee swam 4km in choppy ocean waters to save his Mum, younger brother and younger sister, after the family was swept out to sea on inflatable paddleboards and kayaks.
The extraordinary feat of bravery and determination saw Austin swimming in tough conditions for four hours before reaching the shore, where he was then forced to run another 2km before being able to raise the alarm.
His Mum and siblings were thankfully rescued some hours later.
Watch the full interview with this brave teen here.
100 Turtles Released Off Texas Coast After ‘Cold-Stunning’ Event
When winter weather struck off the coast of Texas recently, about 200 volunteers from the Gulf Center for Sea Turtle Research set off to rescue sea turtles from an event known as ‘cold-stunning’.
When waters cool below a certain temperature, the turtles go into a coma-like state, making them vulnerable to predators, boats and illness.
More than 150 turtles were rescued over a few days and warmed up at the Centre, with 102 already released back into the Gulf.
Read more here.
Neighbour Saves Elderly Woman Trapped Inside Her Burning Home
An 85-year-old woman has been rescued from a house fire in the US, after her neighbour used a sledgehammer to get inside and pull her from the burning home.
The woman uses a wheelchair and was left trapped after the house went up in flames – with her 90-year-old husband managing to escape but having to be stopped from re-entering to save his wife.
A neighbour broke down the front door to get to the woman, before carrying her outside.
Read more here.
City of LA Bans Single-Use Ink Cartridges
And in the latest fight against single-use plastics and products, the city of Los Angeles is moving to ban ink cartridges that cannot be refilled or recycled.
The unanimous vote by council is part of the city’s zero-waste plan and aims to keep reduce the amount of waste heading to landfill.
Read more about the plan here.
