Missing Australian Teen With Autism Found Alive After Six Days in the Wild

A 17-year-old boy with autism who vanished during a camping trip in eastern Australia has been found alive after spending six days in rugged woodland, police said on Thursday. The teenager, identified only by his first name, William, disappeared last Friday near Walhalla, a former gold-mining town about 115 miles east of Melbourne.

A police helicopter crew located him asleep on a flat rock beside a creek, surrounded by dense bushland, according to a police statement. He was later reunited with his mother and taken to hospital so his health could be monitored. Police said he was in good spirits and largely in good health.

Video recorded from the rescue helicopter showed the teenager shirtless and sunburned, wearing shorts and boots and using towels as blankets. His mother, Elizabeth, told reporters she was overjoyed, adding with a joke that he would be "grounded for life" and would not be leaving the house again.

William's family have said he has Level 2 autism, which the advocacy group Autism360 says requires substantial support. People with this level of autism may face notable difficulties with verbal and non-verbal social communication and often depend heavily on routines and predictable activities, with disruption causing significant distress.

The alpine region where he was lost experienced mild spring weather during the week, with little rain, conditions that may have helped him survive. The search ended when the helicopter crew spotted him resting by the water, bringing the six-day operation to a safe conclusion.