After six terrifying days lost in the wilderness, a missing 17-year-old finally saw the one thing he had been hoping for: help arriving from above.
His emotional reaction was captured on camera as the police helicopter spotted him in the bushland and circled overhead – and the look on the teenager’s face said it all.
The teenager, whom police identified only as William, could hardly contain his excitement, pumping his fists as he realized his ordeal might finally be over.
William went missing while camping with a friend near Walhalla, a town about 80 miles east of Melbourne, in Victoria, Australia. He and had been missing since November 6, according to reports.
By the time rescuers found him on Thursday morning, November 12, he was badly sunburned, exhausted and had endured nearly a week alone in the wilderness.
Even more remarkably, William had managed to survive on a family-sized bag of potato chips and water from a nearby creek.
His relieved mother, Elizabeth Barkley, later described the rescue as a miracle.
”I’m just over the moon that he’s alive,” his mother told reporters.
She also had a rather different message for her son once he was safely back home: he was ”grounded for life.”
How the teenager disappeared
William’s mother had dropped him off near a campsite on Stony Creek Road in Walhalla East on November 6.
He was supposed to spend time camping with a friend, but things took a frightening turn when he reportedly went back toward the drop-off point to collect some additional camping gear.
Somewhere along the way, he took a wrong turn and became lost.
He had no phone, very little food and no proper supply of water. Wearing only shorts and boots, the teenager was suddenly alone in unfamiliar and difficult terrain.
When William failed to return, his friend became worried and raised the alarm.
What followed was an extensive search involving police, volunteers, search dogs, divers and helicopters.
For days, rescuers scoured the surrounding bushland, but there was no sign of the missing teenager. Then, on Thursday morning, the police helicopter finally spotted something that helped lead them to him.
The moment rescuers spotted William
The search team first noticed a tackle box in the bush, roughly two kilometers from the spot where William had last been seen.
Investigating further, Victoria Police’s Air Wing spotted the teenager lying on a rock near a creek.
He was extremely sunburned, but alive.
The footage from the helicopter captured the extraordinary moment William realized someone had finally found him. As the aircraft hovered overhead, he raised his arms and pumped his fists in celebration.
Acting Inspector Jason Benbow said the teenager’s eyes lit up when he realized he was being rescued.
”Maybe the tackle box with him saved him,” Victoria Police Acting Inspector Jason Benbow told reporters. ”He didn’t even think people were searching for him, he had no idea how he was going to get out of there.
And honestly, I think he could have survived a couple more days.”
For those involved in the search, finding William alive was an emotional moment. Benbow acknowledged just how special the outcome was, noting that happy endings like this “don’t happen all the time”.
”I’m sure he’s got a story to tell us soon, which we’re very keen to hear,” he added.
How William survived six days alone
William’s mother could barely contain her relief when she spoke about the moment she learned her son had been found.
Elizabeth told 9News she ”just lost it” when the news came through.
“It’s been horrible the past couple of days, my prayers have been answered. I’m just over the moon.”
Although William, who has Level 2 autism, had never been camping before, he made a decision that may have saved his life. Rather than wandering further into the unfamiliar wilderness, he stayed in one area and waited to be found. In a frightening situation, that instinct may have made all the difference.
And while he had very little to work with, he somehow managed to make it through almost a week.
”He drank water from the creek…had Smith’s potato chips, a family-size pack, that went in two days. He fell down a cliff, he had a lot of scratches and sore legs. He had a couple of towels to cover himself up.”
After finally locating him, rescuers gave William a doughnut and a bottle of water before taking him to hospital for his health to be monitored.
His reunion with his mother was understandably emotional, although Elizabeth also made sure her son knew exactly how much he had frightened her.
”Don’t ever do that again! You’re never leaving my sight again. You scared the s**t out of me.”
Elizabeth said William had been ”feeling cold, scared, alone, hungry and thirsty” during the ordeal. Once he is well enough, she is already planning a rather different kind of treat for him: a big McDonald’s order.
Despite spending six nights outdoors, enduring freezing temperatures and scorching sunshine, William escaped with minor injuries and is said to be in good spirits.
For his family, the most important thing is that he is home alive. And after six days of fearing the worst, that is a happy ending they will never forget.
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