A 17-year-old boy who lives with autism has been found alive after spending six days lost in dense bushland in Victoria's northeast, surviving on a single packet of chips and keeping his spirits up by singing John Denver songs through the cold, rainy nights. William was discovered by a police helicopter crew in a creek bed at Walhalla East, bringing to an end an intense, multi-agency search that had gripped the region for nearly a week.
William had disappeared the previous Friday afternoon, shortly after setting up camp near the T2 Track in Walhalla East on what was his very first camping trip. He had walked to another part of the campsite to retrieve an esky and never came back. His friend searched the surrounding area before calling police, and the case was eventually escalated to Victoria's Missing Persons Squad, the specialised unit previously involved in high-profile searches across the state.
The Search for William
From the outset, authorities were deeply concerned for William's welfare. He had been wearing only a pair of shorts and work boots when he vanished, and overnight temperatures in the area dropped to as low as -3 degrees Celsius. Acting Senior Sergeant Trevor Barton described the terrain as "steep, rough and heavily vegetated," adding that William had no experience navigating such conditions.
Police said they believed William may have become disoriented and lost his way, though they did not rule out other possibilities during the investigation. As days passed without any sign of the teenager, the major search operation expanded significantly, eventually drawing in the Public Order Response Team, the Dog Squad, the Mounted Branch, Search and Rescue Squad, State Emergency Services personnel, police divers and helicopters, with hundreds of people involved across the duration of the effort.
Some items were discovered during the search that offered a small measure of hope. A packet of cereal and some marshmallows were found in the bush, and William's mother confirmed the food belonged to her son. Investigators also gathered information from a couple travelling in a four-wheel-drive vehicle who had assisted William's friend on the Friday night he went missing. The pair later spoke to detectives and helped establish a clearer timeline of events.
A family friend named Rose had described the gravity of the situation early in the search, noting that not only was this William's first camping experience, it was also likely his first time away from his mother. Police divers were called in to search the rivers around Walhalla East, while helicopters combed the rugged high country from the air.
Found in a Creek Bed
It was the police air wing that ultimately located William. Senior Constable Emma Quick, who was aboard the helicopter at the time, said the front-seat observer spotted something unusual in the dense vegetation below. "He was able to see something unusual, which is what we're always looking for, just something that takes your eye," she said. "Sure enough, it was Will." The crew described it as extremely fortunate that he had been spotted at all given the thickness of the surrounding bush.
William was found in a creek bed and was transported to Latrobe Regional Hospital in Traralgon, where he spent the night under medical care. His only sustenance during the entire six days had been a single packet of chicken-flavoured chips, which he rationed carefully. He had endured cold nights, rain, hot days, sunburn and difficult terrain described as full of rocks and sticks.
William's Own Account
Speaking from his hospital bed, William reflected on the ordeal with remarkable composure. "The nights were pretty cold. A couple of times it was raining. Hot days. I got sunburnt and pretty treacherous surroundings, rocks and sticks, yeah," he said. He admitted there were moments when he was not sure he would be found.
To cope with the fear and isolation, William turned to music. He began singing John Denver's Take Me Home, Country Roads to lift his mood during the darkest nights. "I started doing it one night and it made me feel ace, so I just kept doing it," he said. By the time he was safely in hospital, his mother reported he had moved on to a different artist entirely. "Today he's been singing AC/DC songs," she said.
William's mother, Elizabeth Barkley, described the moment she was reunited with her son as overwhelming. "Can I believe that they found him and they found him alive?" she said. She added that he was "a bit grumpy" because he was required to fast and could not have his morning coffee or the McDonald's breakfast he had requested.
Recovery and Transfer to Melbourne
William was transferred to the intensive care unit at Latrobe Regional Hospital overnight after his blood pressure dropped due to dehydration. Latrobe Regional Hospital chief executive Don McRae confirmed William was "in good spirits" and in a stable condition, with his mother by his side. He said William would be transferred to The Alfred hospital in Melbourne for further testing and specialist review.
Ms Barkley acknowledged that while her son's condition was stable, it was "one of those things that could turn serious quite quickly if not treated and looked after properly." William himself said he was simply relieved to be safe. "I had a great sleep last night. Comfy bed, finally got some food into me and over the moon to be happy and safe with family," he said.
