Rescued teen William reveals how he survived six days lost in the bush

A teenager who spent six days lost in dense Victorian bushland has revealed he survived on a packet of Smith’s Chicken Chips.

William, 17, was found alive by a police helicopter after becoming separated from his family while camping in the Gippsland region.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Rescued teen William speaks out after six days lost in bush

The teenager, who has autism, had been missing for almost a week, sparking a massive search involving more than 100 emergency personnel.

Now, speaking exclusively to Sunrise, William has revealed he managed to make a family sized packet of Smith’s Chips last for about two days, eating small amounts at a time to keep himself going.

“I had a good old packet of Smith’s Chicken Chips. About two days to get me going for a bit,” he said.

“Yeah, I just ate some here and there, sat down, drank some water from the creek, ate some more.”

Cold nights and treacherous terrain

William said the conditions were challenging, with freezing nights, rain, and hot days making the ordeal even more difficult.

“The nights were pretty cold. I think a couple of times it was raining. Hot days, a little bit of sunburn,” he said.

He also described the surrounding terrain as “pretty treacherous”, with rocks and steep surroundings adding to the danger.

Despite the conditions, William managed to keep himself going, although he admitted there were moments when he feared he would not make it out alive.

“Honestly, I didn’t think I’d make it six days,” he said.

The teenager also revealed he became frightened as darkness approached, worrying rescuers might not be able to spot him.

“There was a few times where I’m thinking, gee, it’s getting dark, and you don’t know if you’ll be able to see me.

“Yeah, I did get pretty scared.”

The song that kept him company

During the long nights alone in the bush, William turned to music to keep himself calm.

The teenager began singing John Denver’s Take Me Home, Country Roads, a childhood favourite he said brought him comfort during the ordeal.

“It’s a good childhood song of mine. It brings me great comfort,” he said.

“I started doing it one night, made me feel okay, so I just kept doing it.”

He revealed the first thing he said to his rescuers was a big thank you.

“I was saying, oh, like, ‘Thank God you guys found me’. I thought it would never happen,” he said.

‘Best moment of my life’

William said the moment he was finally reunited with his mother, Elizabeth Barkley, was one he would never forget.

“Best moment of my life. She was super emotional. I was super emotional, and yeah, it was a very strong point in my life,” he said.

“Glad to see that she’s happy again.”

Elizabeth has made no secret of her plans to keep a much closer eye on her son following the ordeal.

Elizabeth previously joked that William was grounded “for life” and would not be going camping again any time soon.

And it appears the teenager knows she means business.

“She’s giving me a firm look from across the room at the moment, so not expecting to go out any time soon,” he said.

William remains in hospital following the rescue but is expected to be transferred to Melbourne for further assessment by specialists.

He expressed his gratitude to the emergency personnel who worked around the clock to bring him home.

“I’m super grateful for all the paramedics and nurses and search and rescue police helicopters. Everyone, everyone that was involved,” he said.