17-year-old William was found alive after spending six days alone in the Australian wilderness. His disappearance sparked a massive search that luckily ended with his discovery. Now, after sleeping in a comfortable bed and eating proper food, William has broken his silence, sharing how he managed to stay alive.
On November 6, during a camping trip with friends, William, whose surname has not been released, disappeared. It occurred near Walhalla East, in Victoria, Australia.
He had walked away from their campsite to collect more camping equipment, but when he didn’t return, his friends became increasingly worried, The Guardian reported. He had no phone, very little food and water, and soon, concerns about his well-being, and whether he was even alive, grew.
Days passed, and no one had seen the 17-year-old. More than 100 emergency personnel, along with volunteers, joined the search, using helicopters, police dogs, and divers. Then, after six days, rescuers finally spotted him in a dry riverbed near Stoney Creek.
The Independent reported that a police helicopter crew spotted William, noticed his fishing tackle box, and then found the teenager lying on a rock. He waved at the officers as they circled overhead before being winched to safety.
His mother, Elizabeth Barkley, was overwhelmed with relief.
“He just stayed in one spot and waited to be rescued and I’m just over the moon he’s alive,” she told reporters, the BBC reported.
Australian teen’s survival tactic revealed after six days lost in bushland
The mother also joked about what would happen now that her son was safely home, saying, “He’s never leaving the house again.”
Speaking to ABC News, Elizabeth revealed she had never lost hope.
“I knew in my heart he was still alive,” she said. “I could feel it, I knew he wasn’t gone. Thank God he’s such [a] fit person.”
After getting a checkup at the hospital, some well-deserved sleep, food, and water, 17-year-old William also broke his silence on the long days and nights he survived in the wild.
William later described the ordeal, including freezing nights, rain, intense sunshine, and difficult terrain.
“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,” William told Channel Seven, per ABC News. “I didn’t think I’d make it six days.”
The youngster revealed that he began singing songs by John Denver, including the classic Take Me Home, Country Roads’, to keep his spirits up.
“I started doing it one night, and it made me feel ace so I just kept doing it,” he told Channel Seven, adding that he had survived on a packet of chicken-flavored chips, which he rationed.
“Amazing how he’s survived this long,” police say
Acting Inspector Jason Benbow of Victoria Police described the rescue as an extraordinary moment for everyone involved.
“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,
“It’s just amazing how he’s survived this long, through cold nights, hot days.”
We’re so glad William was reunited with his family. Please share this incredible story to honor this young gentleman’s survival instinct!
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