A 17-year-old boy who went missing during a camping trip in Australia’s Victoria state has been rescued alive after spending six nights in rugged bushland. A police helicopter discovered him sleeping on a rock in a dry riverbed on Thursday, November 12, bringing an intensive search to a successful end.
The teenager, identified only as William, disappeared on Friday, November 6, while camping with a friend near Walhalla East in Gippsland, approximately 180 kilometres east of Melbourne.
His disappearance triggered a major search involving police helicopters, divers, dog squads and hundreds of volunteers. Authorities had grown increasingly concerned about his safety as he faced freezing overnight temperatures, hot days and difficult terrain.
The breakthrough came when a police helicopter crew spotted William’s fishing tackle box about two kilometres east of Stoney Creek. They subsequently discovered him lying on a rock in a dry riverbed, surrounded by several belongings, including a pillow, lunch box and small table.
When the helicopter’s noise woke him, William smiled, waved and raised his fist in celebration.
Victoria Police Acting Inspector Jason Benbow said the teenager had walked through challenging, rocky terrain for several days before falling down a steep riverbed embankment about two days before his rescue.
He then remained in the area, sleeping and waiting for help.
Benbow explained that the location was too steep for search teams to reach on foot, making the helicopter crucial to the rescue.
“The search area today was something we couldn’t do on foot, it was way too steep and beyond the capabilities of any human, to be honest,” he said.
Although William was exhausted and unable to walk when rescuers reached him, he was conscious and responsive. Police reported cuts on his legs and severe sunburn across his face and upper body.
He was winched to safety by the helicopter crew and given a doughnut and water before being reunited with his mother, Elizabeth Barkley, at the police staging ground in Cowwarr.
William was subsequently taken to Latrobe Regional Hospital for monitoring.
Barkley, who had maintained hope throughout the six-day search, became emotional as she described seeing her son alive again.
“He’s doing fine. Everything seems to be fine,” she told reporters.
She described his survival as a miracle and expressed overwhelming relief at being able to embrace him.
“To wrap my arms around him was just a miracle … my baby has come back to me,” she said.
Despite the emotional reunion, Barkley managed to joke about her son’s future adventures.
“He’s never leaving the house again. He’s grounded for life,” she said.
The search had brought together hundreds of people, with more than 80 volunteers combing the bushland each day.
State Emergency Service incident controller Tohi Kuru described the atmosphere when confirmation arrived that William had been found. He called witnessing the reunion between mother and son an “awe-inspiring moment”.
Police officers involved in the operation were equally moved by the outcome.
Benbow said William appeared remarkably fit despite the ordeal and had not realised that police were searching for him.
Reflecting on the rescue, he described finding the teenager alive after six days in the wilderness as one of the most rewarding experiences of police work.
“There’s a few emotional police in there … this is the best thing about the job; to have this sort of result at the end,” he said.
“It doesn’t happen all the time.”
