Australian teen missing in bush for six days rescued alive

Seventeen-year-old William, known as Will, disappeared around 4 p.m. on Friday, November 6, while camping with another teenager near Stoney Creek Road, close to T2 Track, about 180 kilometres east of Melbourne in Victoria. Police said he had walked a short distance to another part of the campsite and failed to return; his friend searched the surrounding area but could not find him.

A major search operation involving police dogs, divers, helicopters and the police air wing continued for six days. Extremely cold overnight temperatures had left authorities concerned for the teenager's welfare. On Thursday morning, the air wing conducting an aerial search of the Cowwarr area spotted a tackle box in bushland about two kilometres east of Stoney Creek. Zooming in, rescuers found William lying down close by in a creek.

Flight officers winched down and retrieved Will before bringing him back to the command post to reunite with his mother, Elizabeth Barkley. Barkley, who lives about 40 minutes from the search area in Morwell, said she was waiting as emergency services prepared their next search area when she received the news. "They came in and told me, and I waited outside until the helicopter landed, and I saw him wave as he came out," she said. "I never gave up hope, I knew in my heart he was still alive, and I just prayed to God for a miracle, and a miracle happened."

Rescuers fed William a doughnut and a bottle of water before he was taken to hospital for monitoring. His mother said he had survived on little more than a packet of chips and water after falling down a cliff and becoming trapped, unable to move. "He fell off a bit of a cliff and couldn't move. So he just stayed there and waited," she said. Barkley added that he escaped with just sunburn and a few scratches and was in "good health and good spirits."

Victoria Police Acting Inspector Jason Benbow said officers were emotional to have found the teen alive. "It doesn't happen all the time," he said. "I'm sure he's got a story to tell us soon, which we're very keen to hear." Barkley said that while she was overjoyed to have him home safe, his camping adventures might be on hold for quite some time. "He is now going to the hospital to get checked out, and after that, he's grounded for life. Never leaving my sight again," she said.