Missing Teen Found Alive After Six Days in Australian Wilderness

November 13, 2026

A mother's heartbreaking wait ended in the best possible way when her 17-year-old son, who had been missing in the Australian wilderness for six days, was found alive by a police helicopter crew.

The moment rescuers spotted William / via Storyful

The teenager, identified only as William, was discovered Thursday morning sleeping on a flat rock beside a creek, surrounded by rugged woodland near Walhalla, about 115 miles east of Melbourne.

And the moment rescuers spotted him was one nobody will forget.

After nearly a week in the wilderness, William woke to the sound of the approaching helicopter. When he realized someone had finally found him, he gave the crew a thumbs up.

Rescuers then lowered a winch and brought him safely aboard.

“He woke up to the sound of the helicopter, gave them a thumbs up and they winched him to safety,” Acting Police Inspector Jason Benbow said.

William was in surprisingly good spirits and mostly in good health, despite spending six days alone outdoors.

Video captured during the rescue showed the teenager shirtless, wearing shorts and boots, with towels serving as makeshift blankets.

He was sunburned, but alive.

For his mother, Elizabeth, the news was nothing short of a miracle.

“I'm just over the moon that he's alive,” she told reporters.

She had dropped William and a teenage friend off for a camping weekend the previous Friday. At some point, William walked a short distance from their campsite to collect additional camping equipment.

But he never made it back.

His disappearance sparked an extensive search involving more than 100 emergency services personnel and volunteers.

William, who has Level 2 autism and requires substantial support, had somehow managed to navigate the challenging terrain for several days.

According to police, he traveled up and down steep hills before eventually reaching a creek about 1.2 miles from the campsite. The surrounding terrain was so steep that he became trapped in the area, where he spent his final two days before being discovered.

Fortunately, mild spring weather and little rainfall in the region helped the search efforts.

After the rescue, William was reunited with his mother and taken to a hospital, where doctors could monitor his health.

And Elizabeth, understandably overwhelmed with relief, had one more thing to say about her son’s adventure.

“And he's never leaving the house again. He's grounded for life. He's not going anywhere ever again,” she joked.