Chips, creek water and Take Me Home, Country Roads: how an Australian teenager survived six nights in the bush
William, 17, says ‘nights were pretty cold’ and he ‘honestly didn’t think’ he’d survive A teenage boy who survived almost a week lost in dense Australian bushland sang John Denver’s Take Me Home, Country Roads as he held out hope of rescue on long nights alone in the wilderness. William, whose surname has been withheld, was dropped off by his mother for the weekend to camp with his friend in…
Seventeen-year-old William survived six nights in the Australian bush after becoming lost during a camping trip last Friday. Discovered by a police helicopter on Thursday morning near Walhalla, 130km east of Melbourne, William was found lying down in a creek, heavily sunburnt and with little food or water. He had taken a wrong turn on a track and slipped down a cliff earlier.
William held onto hope during his ordeal, singing John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads" to stay calm. His mother, Elizabeth Barkley, expressed relief and pride upon his rescue, while William shared gratitude for the rescue team and his ability to survive. Barkley noted her son's toughness, while William himself credited his fitness and a chance encounter with an open area as factors in his survival.
Written by urgent.news from The Guardian Australia's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
