William Survives Six Days Lost in Victorian Woodlands
A 17-year-old boy with Level 2 autism was found alive and in good spirits after a massive search operation near Walhalla.
By Luana Sato ·
William, a 17-year-old boy with autism, was found alive on Thursday after six days missing in the woodlands of eastern Australia. Police identified the teen by his first name only. He had been lost near Walhalla, a former gold-mining town located 185 kilometers east of Melbourne.
The rescue began when a police helicopter crew located the boy sleeping on a flat rock beside a creek. Video footage from the aircraft showed William shirtless and sunburned. He was wearing shorts and boots and had fashioned towels into blankets. Police stated he was in good spirits and mostly in good health upon recovery.
Acting Police Inspector Jason Benbow described the terrain as very steep. William trekked for days through the alpine region before reaching the creek bed. He spent his final two days trapped by the steep surrounding landscape, roughly 2 kilometers from his original campsite. Benbow said the boy woke up to the sound of the helicopter, gave the crew a thumbs up, and was then winched to safety.
William’s mother, Elizabeth, spoke to reporters after being reunited with her son. She described her relief and joked that he is grounded for life. The family stated that William has Level 2 autism, a condition that requires substantial support according to the advocacy group Autism360. People with this diagnosis often face marked deficits in social communication and rely heavily on predictable routines.
The search operation involved more than 100 emergency services personnel and volunteers. Weather conditions in the region had been mild with little rain, which likely contributed to his survival. William was transported to a hospital on Thursday for health monitoring following his extraction from the wilderness.
The incident began last Friday when Elizabeth dropped William off with a teenage friend for a weekend camping trip. William walked a short distance from the campsite to collect additional equipment. He never returned to his friend, prompting the start of the extensive search effort that continued until his discovery on Thursday.
