From ABC7 Los Angeles · · 1m
Teen with autism found after 6 days in Australian woodlands
A 17-year-old boy with autism was found alive after six days lost in Australian woodlands.
In brief
A 17-year-old boy with autism was found alive after six days lost in Australian woodlands. William, a 17-year-old with Level 2 autism, was found alive after six days missing in Victoria’s Gippsland forest. Originally reported by ABC7 Los Angeles.
William found alive
A 17-year-old boy with autism was found alive after six days lost in eastern Australian woodlands.
William's background
William had begun camping with a teenage friend when he disappeared near Walhalla, a former gold-mining town 185 kilometers east of Melbourne.
William's condition
William has Level 2 autism, requiring substantial support and marked deficits in verbal and non-verbal social communication.
Rescue details
Police found William asleep on a flat rock beside a creek, shirtless and sunburned, using towels as blankets.
Family reaction
William's mother said he was in good spirits and grounded for life, never leaving the house again.
Health monitoring
William was taken to a hospital for health monitoring after the rescue.
The big picture
William, a 17-year-old with Level 2 autism, was found alive after six days missing in Victoria’s Gippsland forest.
