Teen Lost in Victoria Bush Survives on Chips, Creek Water
A 17-year-old Australian boy named William survived six nights lost in dense bushland in Victoria's east on rationed chips and creek water. He sang John Denver's Take Me Home, Country Roads for comfort before a police helicopter spotted him near Walhalla.
A 17-year-old Australian boy named William survived six nights lost in dense bushland near Walhalla, in Victoria's east, living on a rationed packet of chips and creek water. Police found him on Thursday morning, and he is now recovering in hospital. The chips, creek water and a John Denver song got him through, he said.
William's surname has been withheld. His mother dropped him off last Friday to camp for the weekend with a friend.
How the search unfolded
He was reported missing at about 4pm that day after failing to return from a trip to collect more camping equipment. He was wearing only shorts and work boots. He had left his phone, food and water behind.
More than 100 people joined the search, including police dog and rescue squads. The police air wing finally spotted William lying in a creek near Walhalla, 130km east of Melbourne.
He had taken a wrong turn on a track and later slipped and fell down a cliff.
Pilot Dave Wylie said the search was incredibly challenging. "A lot of the areas are so thick that you can't actually see the forest floor so even if someone was there, potentially you could fly right past them," he said.
William was sheltering in an open area. "If he wasn't in the open area like he was, we absolutely could have flown right past him without seeing him," Wylie said.
Six nights on chips and a song
William was sheltering on a rock under towels and was heavily sunburnt when the helicopter appeared overhead. He gave a wave and a fist-bump before being airlifted out.
He told a morning television program from his hospital bed in Traralgon that he got by on a packet of chicken-flavoured chips, which he rationed over several days. He also drank water from the creek beside him.
To pass the long nights, he sang Take Me Home, Country Roads. "It's a good childhood song of mine. It brings me great comfort," he said. "I started doing it one night, made me feel OK, so I just kept doing it."
The conditions were harsh. "The nights were pretty cold. I think a couple of times it was raining. Hot days, so I got a bit sunburnt, pretty treacherous surroundings," he said.
He added: "I honestly didn't think I'd make it six days."
Reunion and recovery
William's mother, Elizabeth Barkley, hugged him soon after the rescue. She told reporters on Thursday, between tears, that she was "over the moon" and that he was "never leaving the house again". William called their embrace the "best moment of my life".
He said he was "doing great" after a "great sleep" in a "comfy bed" and his first proper food, including some Macca's, the Australian nickname for McDonald's. He thanked the paramedics, nurses and search and rescue crews.
He was suffering from dehydration. He was being taken to the Alfred hospital in Melbourne for further observation and specialist tests, and was in a stable condition on Friday afternoon.
Barkley told a current affairs program she was in awe of how he handled the days alone. "I just couldn't believe he survived that long," she said. "But he's a footballer. He's tough, he's very, very fit."
