Seventeen-year-old William was rescued after six freezing days lost in Gippsland's dense Australian bushland. He stayed in one spot and survived on chips and creek water, helping search teams locate him.
In what was a survival masterclass, 17-year-old Victorian native William was found alive after spending six harrowing days lost in the freezing Australian bushland about 180 km east of Melbourne on Thursday, November 12.
In a video that went viral on social media, especially X (formerly Twitter), William was seen wrapped in a blanket due to the cold weather in the Australian bushland, smiling faintly as he was winched to safety by rescue helicopters and greeted with a much-deserved bottle of water and a doughnut, confirming that the teen survived his grueling week against all odds.
The Victorian native was rescued by a team of Victoria Police, State Emergency Service Volunteers, and specialist search and rescue units, capping off an exhaustive multi-day operation across the dense Gippsland wilderness.
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How Did William Survive Six Freezing Days in the Bush?
William hails from Victoria, Australia, and was on his first-ever camping trip with a friend near Walhalla East in Gippsland when he went missing. The 17-year-old entered the dense bushland during the trip and quickly became disoriented as daylight faded and temperatures plunged.
According to reports, William and his friend had separated during the trek and went missing on November 6, prompting an immediate emergency response when he failed to return. Recognising he was lost, William made a critical decision to stay put in one spot. This singular choice prevented him from plunging deeper into Gippsland and made it significantly easier for aerial and ground search teams to eventually zero in on his location.
The 17-year-old was eventually found near Stoney Creek, surviving on a packet of chips and water from a nearby creek, after an extensive search operation involving police helicopters, drones and ground crew. He was airlifted to safety and taken to hospital for medical assessment.
William reunited with his mother, Elizabeth Barkley, at the search command post after being winched to safety. Describing the rescue as a miracle, his mother stated that she was “over the moon” that her son had been found alive.
Elizabeth also revealed that her son William was in good health, with only a few scratches, and jokingly said he was ‘grounded for life’ and ‘never leaving the house again.’
Police Reveal Heartwarming Details of Missing Teen’s Rescue
Following a dramatic rescue of teen William from the rugged Gippsland bushland, Victoria Police shared heartwarming details of his final moments in the wilderness.
Speaking to reporters, Acting Inspector Jason Benbow described the miraculous moment the teenager was spotted from above, stating that William woke up from his sleep after hearing the sound of a helicopter and gave them a thumbs-up, indicating that he was conscious, alert, and ready to be lifted to safety after enduring nearly a week in the freezing wilderness.
Benhow admitted that the search area was so treacherous and steep that it completely exceeded human capabilities on foot, making the aerial rescue team’s intervention the decisive factor in bringing him home.
“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." Acting Inspector Benhow said.
“Other than that, he's talking to us, he's happy, he's smiling, he's giving us an account of what's happening, and he's hugging his mother and having a doughnut and water," he added.
William has been taken to Latrobe Regional Hospital in Traralgon, Victoria, for monitoring and treatment with his mother.
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