The 17-year-old was winched from rugged bushland in Victoria after an extensive search involving police, volunteers and emergency crews.
COWWARR, AUSTRALIA — A police helicopter crew found a missing 17-year-old alive Thursday after he spent six days lost in rugged bushland in the Australian state of Victoria, ending an extensive search that had drawn police specialists, emergency workers and volunteers.
Victoria Police said the teenager, identified publicly as William, was located about 2 kilometers east of Stoney Creek after an Air Wing crew spotted a tackle box in the bush during an aerial search. Officers looked more closely and saw William lying nearby in a creek area. Flight officers were winched down to retrieve him before flying him to the search command post, where he was reunited with his mother. Police said he was in good spirits and mostly in good health before being taken to a hospital for monitoring.
William had been missing since about 4 p.m. Nov. 6, when he was camping in the Walhalla East area, between Cowwarr and Walhalla in eastern Victoria. Police said his mother had dropped him off for a weekend camping trip and he later walked a short distance toward the drop-off point to collect more equipment. When he did not return, the teenager who was camping with him searched the area but could not find him.
The disappearance triggered a large search across steep and heavily wooded terrain. Local officers were joined during the six-day operation by Victoria Police specialist units, including Search and Rescue, the Dog Squad, Mounted Branch, Public Order Response Team and Air Wing. State Emergency Service personnel, bush search and rescue volunteers, search-dog teams and other community members also helped. More than 80 volunteers were searching on some days, according to Australian Broadcasting Corp. reporting.
Police said during the search that William had left his mobile phone, food and water behind. He had been wearing only shorts and work boots when he disappeared, increasing concern about his ability to cope with changing weather and cold nights. Investigators believed he may have become disoriented in the surrounding terrain. By the fifth day, police were asking hunters, campers and landowners to review footage from trail and game cameras placed in bushland around Cowwarr, Stoney Creek and the Lower Thomson River.
After his rescue, authorities said William had traveled through extremely rugged country before ending up near a creek. Acting Inspector Jason Benbow told reporters that some of the area searched by helicopter was too steep to cover safely on foot. William had spent his final two days near the creek after moving through the bush, according to police accounts reported by ABC. He was exhausted and had cuts on his legs and significant sunburn but was alert, smiling and able to speak with rescuers.
ABC reported that William told his family he had survived with a family-sized bag of chicken chips and had used two towels as blankets during cold nights. He also had access to creek water. When the helicopter arrived, rescuers found him sleeping near the creek with some of his camping belongings nearby. Video from the rescue showed him waking as the aircraft circled overhead and acknowledging the crew before officers reached him.
His mother, Elizabeth, described her relief after the reunion, telling reporters she was “over the moon” that her son was alive. She had remained hopeful during the search even as the operation stretched into a sixth day. Police said William had not realized the scale of the search being conducted for him. Benbow said the rescue was an especially welcome outcome for officers after days of difficult searching.
The successful aerial search followed repeated efforts to narrow down William’s possible route. Earlier in the week, investigators sought information from motorists who had traveled through the Cowwarr and Stoney Creek areas and asked for dashcam footage. They also located and spoke with occupants of a white four-wheel-drive vehicle that had been seen in the area. Police maintained during the search that the available information suggested William had become lost rather than disappeared because of foul play.
William was taken to Latrobe Regional Hospital for observation following the rescue. Hospital officials told ABC that he appeared remarkably well after nearly a week outdoors, although he required monitoring after the ordeal. Victoria Police thanked the community, State Emergency Service, Ambulance Victoria, Bush Search and Rescue, search-dog organizations and local groups that supported the operation. With William safely located, the six-day missing-person search was brought to an end.
Author note: Last updated November 13, 2026.