“He is under house arrest for life.” 17-year-old found after six days in the Australian bush

He just went out to get his equipment and disappeared. This is how the dramatic search began

On November 6, the 17-year-old wandered away while camping in Victoria, Australia. William left the campsite to fetch additional camping equipment. Although he was supposed to return in a few minutes, there was no trace of him. A concerned friend called for help.

Within a few hours, a rescue operation began on a gigantic scale. More than 100 people were involved in the search for William, including policemen, rescuers, tracking dogs, and even police divers and a helicopter crew. Every hour was worth its weight in gold - the Australian bush is famous for its difficult conditions, and the nights can be very cold.

A bag of chips, towels and water from the stream. Fight for survival in the wilderness

Meanwhile, William fought alone for survival. For the first two days he ate a bag of chips he had with him. He drew water from a nearby stream. When the temperature dropped rapidly at night, the boy wrapped himself in towels to keep warm. During the day, he sought shade to avoid sunburn. During one of his hikes, he fell down a steep slope. His legs were sore and scratched, and his strength was slowly leaving him.

The breakthrough came on the sixth day. They spotted it from the air

William's mother, Elizabeth, did not lose hope despite the passing of subsequent days of searching. I knew deep in my heart that he was alive, she said.

On the sixth day of the search, a police helicopter spotted an exhausted and sunburned teenager about two kilometers from the campsite. William was lying on the rocks by the stream when the helicopter came - tears of joy streamed down his face.

Mother's tears and surprising words. “He is under house arrest for life.”

After being transported to the rescue camp, William was finally able to meet his mother. The emotion of both of them was great. The boy only said: Oh, mom.

Elizabeth didn't let go of her son for a long time, never wanting to lose sight of him. She summed up the dramatic events with relief and humor:

"He will never leave home again. He is under house arrest for life."

William needs time to regenerate and recover, and his family is grateful for the happy ending to this dramatic story.