A 17-year-old who survived six days lost in bushland in eastern Victoria has described rationing chips and singing to keep his spirits up before his rescue by police.
William, whose surname has been withheld, went missing while camping with a friend. He failed to return from a trip to retrieve camping equipment, having left his phone, food supplies and water behind, The Guardian reported.
He said he rationed a packet of chicken-flavoured chips over several days and drank water from a creek. During cold nights, he sang John Denver’s Take Me Home, Country Roads, a childhood favourite that he said brought him comfort.
Police found him lying in a creek near Walhalla on Thursday morning after a search involving police and rescue teams. A police helicopter pilot said the dense bush had made the search difficult and that the crew could have missed William had he not been in an open area.
William was recovering in hospital in stable condition. ABC News Australia reported that he was due to be transferred to the Alfred hospital in Melbourne for further testing and specialist review after suffering dehydration.
