Teen William Survives 6 Days on Chips After Cliff Fall in Victorian Bush

Q: How did a dropped tackle box lead rescuers to a missing teen who survived six freezing days in the Australian bush?

Rescuers found William because a police helicopter crew spotted his dropped fishing tackle box from the air and used it as the clue that led them directly to him. After six days of searching dense, steep bushland near Stoney Creek in Victoria, the Air Wing saw the tackle box in remote terrain about 2 kilometres east of Stoney Creek. When officers zoomed in, they found the 17-year-old lying nearby in a dry creek or riverbed. Because the ground was too steep and rugged for searchers on foot, the helicopter crew winched officers down to reach him and lift him out. Police said William had spent time moving through rocky country before falling or becoming stuck near the creek bed, where he then stayed and waited to be found. Reports said he survived the freezing nights by sheltering in place, using towels as blankets, and rationing a family-sized bag of chicken chips. He was exhausted, sunburned and scratched, but otherwise in surprisingly good health. The tackle box mattered because it was visible from above in an area where William himself would have been very hard to detect. In effect, that single item gave searchers a target in vast bushland and turned an aerial sweep into a successful rescue. He was flown to safety, given water and a doughnut, and later reunited with his mother, who called the outcome a miracle.

Q: What caused the 17-year-old camper to separate from his friend and become trapped in Victoria's rugged terrain for nearly a week?

Authorities have not identified a single clear cause for William’s separation from his friend. Based on police and family accounts, he appears to have become disoriented while moving through dense, steep bushland and then ended up trapped in difficult terrain near a creek or dry riverbed. Reports indicate he spent some time walking through rocky, rugged country before becoming stuck and unable to get out. He was eventually found about 2km east of Stoney Creek, with one account saying the police air wing first spotted his tackle box and then saw him lying in a dry creek bed. What is clear is that the environment played a major role. The area east of Melbourne where he vanished is heavily wooded, steep and hard to navigate, and overnight cold added to the danger. By the time rescuers found him, he was exhausted, sore and unable to walk, though he had only minor injuries such as scratches, cuts and sunburn. His mother said he had stayed in one place and waited to be found, which likely helped him survive until the helicopter rescue. So while the exact moment or reason he became separated has not been publicly explained, the evidence points to him getting lost in rugged bushland and then becoming immobilized in remote terrain.

3 articles · Updated · Sydney Morning Herald · Nov 12

Seventeen-year-old William was found alive after six days in remote Gippsland bush, escaping with sunburn and scratches and remaining in good spirits in LaTrobe Regional Hospital.
A fall down a cliff left him trapped with sore legs, forcing him to stay put beside a creek, drink stream water and ration a packet of chips while using towels for warmth at night.
More than 100 searchers joined the hunt before a police helicopter spotted a tackle box in steep Cowwarr terrain, then found William about 2 km east of Stoney Creek and winched him to safety.
His mother, Elizabeth Barkley, said William had gone missing during a camping trip near Walhalla East last Friday and credited his fitness and resilience for helping him survive.