Australian teen rescued alive after six days missing in bushland

A 17-year-old boy has been rescued alive after spending six days missing in dense Australian bushland, ending a search in eastern Victoria. The teenager, identified publicly only as William, was reunited with his family after disappearing during a camping trip at Walhalla East in the Gippsland region, about 180 kilometres east of Melbourne.

William disappeared on November 6 while camping with another teenager, according to Australian broadcaster ABC News. He had walked a short distance to collect camping equipment but failed to return. The other teenager searched for him before the alarm was raised, prompting an emergency response across the surrounding bushland.

Victoria Police’s initial appeal said William had last been seen at about 4pm wearing only shorts and work boots. Police and relatives were concerned because he had little clothing, the weather was unsettled and his disappearance was out of character. ABC reported that his mobile phone had been left at the campsite, along with food and water.

His mother had described him during the search as inexperienced at camping, unfamiliar with the area and having a poor sense of direction. She also said William has autism and anxiety and would probably be distressed. Those concerns added urgency to an operation in which searchers had no confirmed account of where he had gone after leaving camp.

Police widened the search as the days passed, bringing in divers to examine nearby waterways alongside teams searching on land and from the air. ABC reported that the operation involved police dogs and helicopters, with cold overnight conditions increasing concern for William’s welfare. Before the rescue, Acting Inspector Jason Benbow said there were no plans to scale back efforts to find him.

A police helicopter crew eventually spotted William asleep on a flat rock beside a creek, the Associated Press reported, citing police. Benbow said the teenager had travelled through steep terrain before spending his final two days near the creek, about two kilometres from camp. He woke to the helicopter, signalled to its crew and was winched to safety.

The rescue brought relief to relatives who had waited almost a week for news. His mother, Elizabeth, joked that he was “grounded for life” and would never leave the house again. Her reaction marked a sharp change from the anxiety she had expressed while emergency crews continued searching without finding him.

William was subsequently taken to hospital for monitoring, according to police accounts reported by the Associated Press. Authorities described him as being in good spirits and generally well after the ordeal. With the search over and the family reunited, medical checks were the immediate next step following his days in the bush.