Teen William Found Alive After Six Days Missing in Bushland Near Walhalla

William, 17, was found safe and well on Thursday morning, November 12, after six days missing in dense bushland near Walhalla in Victoria, police said. A Police Air Wing crew spotted him from the air near a creek, and officers were winched down to bring him out.

Victoria Police said in a statement: "Amazingly, William is in good spirits and for the most part, in good health." He was taken to hospital for monitoring, and he was reunited with his mother at the command post.

His mother, Elizabeth, told reporters at the scene: "I am over the moon. He's alive." She also said: "He is never leaving the house again. He is not going anywhere." She told reporters the teenager had only a few scratches and seemed fit and healthy.

How he went missing

William was last seen on Friday, November 6, at about 4pm near Stoney Creek Road, between Cowwarr and Walhalla, near T2 Track, while camping with a friend. His mother had dropped him off to camp for the weekend.

He walked a short distance back toward the drop-off location to retrieve further camping equipment and did not return. He was wearing only shorts and work boots when he went missing, and he left his mobile phone, food and water behind.

Walhalla is 185km east of Melbourne, in Victoria's east, in the Gippsland region. The country around the town is dense bushland, and the search ran through that terrain for six days.

How searchers found him

An extensive search ran for six days and involved Victoria Police uniform officers, specialist units and other agencies, including the dog and rescue squad.

On Thursday morning, a Police Air Wing crew conducting an aerial search of the Cowwarr area spotted a tacklebox in bushland about 2km east of Stoney Creek. The crew zoomed in on it and found William laying down close by in a creek.

Flight officers were winched down, retrieved William, and brought him back to the command post, where he was reunited with his mother.

Police have not shared William's surname, and this report follows that decision. He is 17, and the facts that matter here are the search, the find from the air, and the reunion at the command post.

After six days with no phone, no food and no water carried with him, in shorts and work boots, he came out with a few scratches, in good spirits, and alive. That is the outcome his family waited six days to hear.