Search resumes for teenager who went missing in shorts and boots
The teenager from the Latrobe Valley likely spent the weekend wearing just shorts and boots as snow fell on nearby mountains.
Four days after venturing into Victoria's east for a weekend camping trip, a 17-year-old boy from the Latrobe Valley remains missing. William, whose last name has not been disclosed, was reportedly lost in the region's alpine areas while camping with another teenager near Cowwarr. On Friday, William donned shorts and boots due to the warm weather, expecting a brief 20-minute walk.
However, he did not return to the campsite. Victoria Police Superintendent Melanie Hamshere noted that William had ventured out to retrieve items such as an esky, pillows, a fishing tackle box, and a tabletop, leaving his phone behind. A recent cold snap resulted in a light dusting of snow in some mountain ranges, with temperatures plummeting below zero degrees Celsius overnight at Mount Baw Baw.
Police have reinitiated the search efforts, setting up a staging area at Cowwarr Recreational Reserve. They are also seeking a bearded man and a woman in an older white ute with a black canopy, who aided William's friend on Friday night by flagging down a vehicle. Over the weekend, around 70 volunteers searched for William, aided by a police helicopter, water police, and the dog squad.
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