Six days in the Gippsland bush in shorts and boots, with no phone or food: 17-year-old William is found alive
A 17-year-old who disappeared from a campsite in Victoria's Gippsland bush last Friday, wearing only shorts and work boots, has been found alive by a police helicopter. The crew spotted a tacklebox in the bush, then found him lying in a creek nearby, and winched him out. Police say he is in good spirits and largely in good health, and he has gone to hospital to be checked.
Updates
- Thursday afternoon AWSTLatest
Victoria Police says the Air Wing spotted a tacklebox about 2km east of Stoney Creek, found William lying in a creek nearby and winched him out. He is in good spirits, largely in good health, and has been taken to hospital for monitoring.
- About 9.30am AWST
His mother says he has only a few scratches and survived by staying in one spot and waiting to be rescued.
- Thursday morning
The Victoria Police Air Wing finds William alive. He is reunited with his family at the police staging ground in Cowwarr.
Three things to know
- William, 17, whose surname has not been released, was found on Thursday morning by the Victoria Police Air Wing, six days after he went missing near Walhalla, about 180km east of Melbourne.
- He had left his phone, food and water at the camp. More than 100 people joined the search, with police divers, the dog squad and helicopters.
- A tacklebox in the bush, about 2km east of Stoney Creek, led the Air Wing crew to him. Police say he is largely in good health and has been taken to hospital for monitoring; his mother says he stayed put and waited, the advice search crews give anyone lost in the bush.
A teenager missing for six days in rugged bushland in Victoria’s Gippsland has been found alive.
William, 17, was spotted by the Victoria Police Air Wing on Thursday morning and was reunited with his family at the police staging ground in Cowwarr. His surname has not been released.
His mother said he had “only a few scratches”. “He just stayed in one spot and waited to be rescued,” she said. “It’s a miracle.”
How did he go missing?
William had been dropped off by his mother for a weekend of camping with a friend near Walhalla East, in the steep, heavily forested hills about 180km east of Melbourne.
Police said he was last seen near Stoney Creek Road, between Cowwarr and Walhalla, at about 4pm on Friday 6 November. He is believed to have walked a short distance back towards the drop-off point to collect more camping gear. When he did not come back, his stepbrother searched the area but found no trace of him.
He was wearing only shorts and work boots. His mobile phone, food and water were left behind at the camp.
How big was the search?
Over six days, more than 100 people joined the search, alongside police divers, the dog squad and police helicopters. On Wednesday, investigators appealed to hunters, campers and landowners in the area for help after a hunting camera was found in the search zone.
The breakthrough came from the air on Thursday morning. Police said the Air Wing crew, searching near Cowwarr, spotted a tacklebox in bushland about 2km east of Stoney Creek, then saw William lying in a creek nearby. Flight officers were winched down to bring him out and flew him back to the command post, where his mother was waiting.
Police said he was in good spirits and, for the most part, in good health. He was taken to hospital for monitoring.
Why does staying put matter?
Searchers plan around a simple rule: a lost person who stays in one place is far easier to find than one who keeps moving, because every kilometre walked widens the area crews must cover. In country as steep and thickly timbered as the hills around Walhalla, that can be the difference between days and weeks.
William had none of the things searchers usually hope a missing person is carrying: no phone to ping, no food, no water and no warm clothes. He came out after six nights in good spirits, and by his mother’s account with only scratches.
VNN will update this story as more is confirmed.
How we got here
The key moments that brought this story into focus. Open any moment for detail.
Friday 6 November 2026William goes missing
The 17-year-old is last seen at about 4pm near Stoney Creek Road, between Cowwarr and Walhalla, after leaving his camp to fetch gear.
6-11 November 2026Six-day search
More than 100 people, police divers, the dog squad and helicopters search the bush around Walhalla.
Wednesday 11 November 2026Public appeal
Investigators appeal to hunters, campers and landowners after a hunting camera is found in the search area.
Thursday 12 November 2026Found alive
The police Air Wing finds William, who is reunited with his family.
What happens next
William is in hospital for monitoring. Police have not said how long he is expected to stay or how far from his camp he travelled. The search is over, and no further police updates are expected unless his condition changes.
Sources
- VNN
VNN never names people who give us information in confidence. How we protect sources and tips.
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