LOST TEEN SURVIVES SIX DAYS IN THE BUSH ON A BAG OF CHIPS AND A JOHN DENVER SONG
Every parent's worst nightmare has turned into the happiest of endings, after a lost teen was found alive following six days alone in rugged Victorian bushland.
William, 17, from the Latrobe Valley, survived cold nights, rain, hot days and painful sunburn with little more than a packet of chips, two towels and a song.
His family, and the hundreds of people who searched for him, are now celebrating what many feared would never happen.
How the lost teen went missing
William had gone camping with a friend at Walhalla East in Gippsland, about 180 kilometres east of Melbourne.
According to the ABC, it was his first independent camping trip.
He was last seen at about 4pm on Friday, November 6, after walking a short distance to another part of the camp.
Victoria Police said at the time he was dressed only in shorts and work boots, and the weekend weather was poor.
William later explained that he missed a turn-off back to camp and spent the first night sleeping under bushes.
The next day he set out to find the campsite, but fell down a steep embankment into a riverbed.
For the following days he slept and waited, hoping someone would find him.
A huge search effort
Back at a command post in the tiny town of Cowwarr, a massive operation swung into action.
Police divers, the dog squad, helicopters and SES crews all joined the hunt, with more than 80 volunteers combing the bush each day.
The terrain was brutal, and police described parts of the search area as extremely steep and dense.
Through it all, his mother, Elizabeth Barkley, refused to lose hope.
"I knew in my heart he was still alive," she told the ABC.
Spotted from the sky
On the morning of Thursday, November 12, a Victoria Police Air Wing crew flying over the area spotted something out of place: a fishing tackle box, about two kilometres east of Stoney Creek.
The crew then found William in a dry creek bed, lying under his towels.
Pilot Dave Wylie said the thick bush made spotting anyone very difficult, and William was only visible because he happened to be in an open area.
He was winched to safety and reunited with his mum at Cowwarr.
She was just as relieved as you would imagine, and joked that he was never going camping again.
What kept the lost teen going
William's survival kit was hardly what you would pack on purpose.
He rationed a family-sized bag of chicken-flavoured chips, his only food for six days.
He used two towels as blankets on cold nights.
And to keep his spirits up, he sang John Denver's Take Me Home, Country Roads.
Speaking from hospital, he admitted he had his doubts.
"I didn't think I'd make it six days," he told the ABC.
He came out of the bush exhausted and unable to walk, with cuts and scratches to his legs and severe sunburn to his face and upper body.
Dehydration caused his blood pressure to drop, and he spent a night in intensive care at Latrobe Regional Hospital.
Hospital chief executive Don McRae said William was stable and in good spirits, and he was due to be moved to The Alfred in Melbourne for further tests.
A reminder for families heading outdoors
With summer holidays around the corner, many families will be planning camping trips and bushwalks.
William's story is a gentle reminder to tell someone exactly where you are going and when you expect to be back.
It also helps to pack water, a warm layer, a hat and sunscreen, even on a short walk from camp.
If someone does go missing, call Triple Zero (000) straight away.
Most of all, his story is a heartwarming reminder of the power of community, as police, volunteers and emergency crews gave up their days to bring a young man home.
Somewhere in Gippsland this weekend, a mum is hugging her boy a little tighter, and we suspect John Denver is playing on repeat.
