Remarkable footage shows the moment a teenager was located by a search helicopter after spending six days lost in the Australian wilderness.
William, whose surname has not been released, was on his first camping trip with a friend at Walhalla East in eastern Victoria on Friday afternoon. He walked to another part of the site near Stoney Creek Road and T2 Track but did not return.
The 17-year-old, who has level two autism and requires ‘substantial’ support, was wearing only shorts and work boots. He had also left his mobile phone at the campsite.
Newly released footage shows William, shirtless and badly sunburnt, lying on a flat rock beside a creek. It appears he survived by drinking fresh water from the creek.
Still wearing his boots, he lay on his side beneath a blanket as the helicopter hovered overhead.
At first, the exhausted teenager did not react and appeared unable to understand what he was seeing. Moments later, he waved at the helicopter and pumped his fist in the air when he realised rescuers had found him.
Six days earlier, William’s friend had run for help after he failed to return to the campsite and managed to flag down the driver of a white ute.
Police had expressed grave concern for the Latrobe Valley teenager, warning that he may have become disoriented and lost in the rugged terrain.
The moment an autistic 17-year-old, missing in Victoria’s bushland for six days, was found alive
The teenager took a moment to understand what he was seeing before celebrating with a fist pump
The Police Air Wing searched terrain like this when officers spotted a tackle box about 2km east of Stoney Creek
The Bureau of Meteorology recorded temperatures as low as 3C during the six days William was missing.
Thankfully, he was found alive on Thursday morning and photographed on a stretcher as emergency crews treated him.
Victoria Police said: ‘William is in good spirits and, for the most part, in good health.’
According to the Herald Sun, he was flown by helicopter to a search base at Cowwarr, about 30km north of Traralgon in Gippsland.
His mother, Elizabeth Barkley, said on Thursday that William appeared to be in perfect health.
‘He’s doing fine, everything seems to be fine, he’s in perfect health,’ she said.
‘He just stayed in one spot and waited to be rescued and I’m just over the moon he’s alive.’
She joked that her son would never be allowed to leave the house again.
The teenager was not wearing a shirt when he disappeared and suffered severe sunburn
He was winched aboard the helicopter at about midday on Thursday
The teenager was found alive after going on his first camping trip with a friend
William’s mother, Elizabeth Barkley, said he was doing well and appeared to be in perfect health
‘He’s grounded for life,’ she told the ABC.
‘He’s not going anywhere ever again. I’m just over the moon.’
Images showed the teenager sitting upright on a stretcher as he was transported by the Police Air Wing. He was later seen embracing loved ones after reaching the search base.
The Air Wing was conducting an aerial search when officers noticed a tackle box in bushland about 2km east of Stoney Creek.
After zooming in on the box, officers spotted William lying nearby in a creek.
Flight officers winched down to retrieve him before flying him to the command post, where he was reunited with his mother.
More than 100 people joined the six-day search, including officers from the Public Order Response Team, Dog Squad, Mounted Branch and Search and Rescue Squad, as well as State Emergency Service personnel.
Police said William had fallen down a steep riverbed embankment two days earlier, where he remained, sleeping and waiting to be found.
Victoria Police said William was in good spirits and, for the most part, in good health
He was flown to a search base at Cowwarr, about 30km north of Traralgon in Gippsland, according to the Herald Sun
‘He woke up to the sound of the helicopter [and] gave them a thumbs up,’ Acting Inspector Jason Benbow said.
Police said William was exhausted and unable to walk. He had cuts on his legs and severe sunburn across his upper body and face.
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‘Other than that, he’s talking to us, he’s happy, he’s smiling, he’s giving us an account of what’s happening and he’s hugging his mother and having a doughnut and water,’ Acting Inspector Benbow said.
He was reunited with his mother on Thursday morning after Ms Barkley happened to be at the police staging area in Cowwarr.
‘I knew in my heart he was still alive, I could feel it. I knew he wasn’t gone,’ Ms Barkley said.
She ran towards the police helicopter with her arms open and embraced her son before telling him: ‘You scared the shit out of me.’
Ms Barkley later described the overwhelming reunion, saying she was shaking and her heart was racing when she finally saw William.
‘The police helicopter found him. I’m just over the moon. I can’t thank everyone [enough]. It’s a miracle,’ she said.
Acting Inspector Jason Benbow, left, said he was delighted to reunite William with his mother
William disappeared while camping with a friend at Walhalla East in eastern Victoria
‘To wrap my arms around him was just a miracle… my baby has come back to me,’ she added.
William greeted his mother with a wave and a cheerful ‘Hi mum’ when they were reunited, Ms Barkley said.
‘You see these stories on TV and you don’t think it can happen to you, but when you do and you find them alive, it’s just… I can’t describe the words. I’m so happy, I can’t speak properly,’ she said.
William was later seen smiling and laughing with police officers.
Police said William may not have been found without the assistance of the helicopter.
‘I’ve been praying for this all week. To find him while I was out here, it was such a perfect… you couldn’t write the script any better,’ Ms Barkley said.
William was taken to Latrobe Regional Hospital with his mother for monitoring.
Acting Inspector Jason Benbow said locating William after six days of searching was one of the highlights of his career.
William disappeared during a camping trip after walking towards another part of the site near Stoney Creek Road and T2 Track
More than 100 people joined the six-day search for the teenager
William was taken to Latrobe Regional Hospital with his mother for monitoring
‘The helicopter found him lying down, waving his arms at them,’ he said.
‘We’re very happy to reunite Will with his mum.’
‘He’s got a few scratches but he’s very chirpy, we fed him a doughnut and a bottle of water and he’s very happy.’
‘We were confident from the start. There’s some emotional police because we’re all invested in this and this is the best thing about the job,’ Acting Inspector Benbow said.
Andy Cuttler, a volunteer with Australian Search and Rescue K9 who spent days combing the bushland, said his team was thrilled to have helped bring the search to a successful conclusion.
‘We heard the call come over to say he’d been located, it was a strange feeling, we were in disbelief,’ the 31-year-old told the Herald Sun.
‘We saw him sitting up in the stretcher smiling, with a bit of sunburn. It’s a great feeling. It’s very rewarding and actually quite humbling to be a part of.’