Chips, creek water and Take Me Home, Country Roads: how an Australian teenager survived six nights in the bush

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 Victoria’s east last Friday.

The 17-year-old was reported missing at about 4pm that day after failing to return from a trip to retrieve further camping equipment. He was wearing only shorts and work boots and had left his phone, food supplies and water behind.

After an extensive operation of more than 100 people, including the police dog and rescue squads, the police air wing found William on Thursday morning lying down in a creek near Walhalla, 130km east of Melbourne.

He lost his way after taking a wrong turn on a track, and later slipped and fell down a cliff.

He told Seven’s Sunrise program John Denver’s country classic, which repeats the line “take me home, to the place I belong”, was a childhood favourite of his that brought him solace as he braved harsh conditions and loneliness.

“It’s a good childhood song of mine. It brings me great comfort,” he said from his hospital bed in Traralgon on Friday morning. “I started doing it one night, made me feel OK, so I just kept doing it.”

William shared an emotional reunion with his mother, Elizabeth Barkley, soon after being rescued. She told reporters on Thursday between tears that she was “over the moon” and he was “never leaving the house again”.

William told Sunrise their warm embrace was the “best moment of my life”.

“I think she’s going to stand true with that comment,” he said with a laugh. “She’s giving me a firm look from across the room at the moment, so not expecting to go out any time soon.”

William said he was “doing great” after enjoying a “great sleep” in a “comfy bed” on Thursday night and “finally getting some food into me”.

“I’m over the moon to be safe,” he said. “The nights were pretty cold. I think a couple of times it was raining. Hot days, so I got a bit sunburnt, pretty treacherous surroundings.

“I honestly didn’t think I’d make it six days.”

After seeing the helicopter flying overhead, William, who was sheltering on a rock under towels and heavily sunburnt, gave a wave and fist-bump before being airlifted to safety. He said he was feeling “pure euphoria”.

“Just happiness and gratefulness that a moment that I thought might never happen, has happened, and I am finally going to see my mum again,” he said.

“There were a few times were I’m thinking ‘geez, it’s getting dark out here, I don’t know if they’re going to see me’.”

William got by on a packet of chicken-flavoured chips, which he rationed over several days. He said he also drank water from the creek that he was sheltering by.

“Last night I had dinner … and I had some Macca’s, which was good, so I got plenty of food in,” he said. “I’m super grateful for all the paramedics and nurses, search and rescue … everyone that was involved.”

Pilot Dave Wylie told reporters it had been an incredibly challenging search for crews and it was lucky William was sheltering in an open area.

“A lot of the areas are so thick that you can’t actually see the forest floor so even if someone was there, potentially you could fly right past them,” he said.

“If he wasn’t in the open area like he was, we absolutely could have flown right past him without seeing him.”

William was being transported to the Alfred hospital in Melbourne for further observation and testing by specialists, after suffering from dehydration. He was in a stable condition on Friday afternoon.

Barkley told Nine’s A Current Affair she was in awe as to how well her son had handled days alone in the bush.

“I just couldn’t believe he survived that long,” she said. “But he’s a footballer. He’s tough, he’s very, very fit.

“His agility is incredible.”

Barkley said William had missed a turn on a track and became lost on Friday and curled up under some bushes when it got dark.

“I had instinct … I knew he was still alive,” she said of the following days. “I knew in my heart … And I was just praying, and praying, and praying.”