Boy survivor heads home
A TEENAGER who spent two nights lost in near-freezing Victorian bush can now climb into his own bed.
William Callaghan, 14, who is non-verbal with autism, left the Royal Children’s Hospital yesterday to go home to Clifton Springs, a day after he was found at Mount Disappointment.
The Hamlyn Views School student spent Wednesday night at the hospital after surviving the bush with a suspected broken foot, cuts, bruising and an insect in his ear.
Yesterday his mother, Penny Callaghan, told reporters outside the hospital it was hoped they’d remove the bug later in the day.
By late yesterday afternoon, William had been discharged.
Ms Callaghan is amazed by her son’s ability to stay put during his time in the bush, clearly waiting to be found.
“This was a massive ordeal for him, but to him it was probably just an adventure as well,” she said.
“He slept pretty well last night — a lot better than I did.”
The massive search effort was sparked after he became separated from his family while hiking up Mount Disappointment on Monday.
Local bushman Ben Gibbs found William off the main track, giving him socks and chocolate before he was reunited with his family.
Ms Callaghan thanked the “amazing guy” Mr Gibbs for rescuing her son. Rescuers had blasted the Thomas the Tank Engine theme song during the search to help draw him out, as William finds the tune soothing.
Police Acting Inspector Christine Lalor, who led the search, never lost hope they’d find him.
“For some reason, or whether it was wishful thinking that morning, I just had a feeling we were going to find him that day,” she said yesterday. “It is important to not lose hope and to stay optimistic.”
While there’s a push to rename Mount Disappointment after the ordeal, Ms Callaghan would prefer any renaming to be after Mr Gibbs, not her son.
Acting Insp Lalor thinks the current name has a nice ring to it now that the mountain is actually full of hope.
William’s survival is the good news the community needed in a year dominated by bushfires and the coronavirus pandemic.
“I think it’s really important,” Acting Insp Lalor said.
“It’s given everyone a little boost.”