Missing Teen Found Alive After Six Days in Australian Wilderness

Published November 11, 2026. A 17-year-old boy with autism was located alive on Thursday after spending six days lost in woodlands near Walhalla, about 185 kilometers east of Melbourne. Police identified him only as William.

A police helicopter crew spotted him beside a creek, where he had been staying for the final two days. He was about two kilometers from the campsite and surrounded by steep terrain. After waking to the helicopter, he gave rescuers a thumbs-up and was winched to safety.

William had gone camping with a teenage friend. His mother had dropped them off the previous Friday, and he went a short distance to retrieve more equipment but did not return. Acting Police Inspector Jason Benbow said William had walked for days across steep ground.

More than 100 emergency services personnel and volunteers took part in the search. William was reunited with his mother, appeared cheerful and was generally healthy, and was taken to hospital for monitoring. Video from the helicopter showed him shirtless, sunburned, and wearing shorts and boots, with towels used as blankets.

His mother, Elizabeth, said she was relieved he was alive and joked that he was “grounded for life.” His family has said he has Level 2 autism, which requires substantial support.