{"id":1284,"date":"2026-11-09T01:09:48","date_gmt":"2026-11-09T01:09:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adsandthings.com\/winews\/2026\/11\/09\/17-year-old-boy-with-autism-goes-missing-on-camping-trip-mom-says-shes-living-her-worst-nightmare\/"},"modified":"2026-11-09T01:09:48","modified_gmt":"2026-11-09T01:09:48","slug":"17-year-old-boy-with-autism-goes-missing-on-camping-trip-mom-says-shes-living-her-worst-nightmare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adsandthings.com\/winews\/2026\/11\/09\/17-year-old-boy-with-autism-goes-missing-on-camping-trip-mom-says-shes-living-her-worst-nightmare\/","title":{"rendered":"17-Year-Old Boy with Autism Goes Missing on Camping Trip, Mom Says She\u2019s Living Her \u2018Worst Nightmare\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cI can\u2019t sleep knowing I\u2019m safe in bed and warm and he is somewhere out there and he\u2019d be so scared,\u201d said the teen\u2019s mother, Elizabeth Barkley<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/people.com\/thmb\/8PX3wonYKRY-JwQtUgIdPs8rG94=\/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)\/William-110826-2-9fbd07b029524a29ac668c8f0dcaaf12.jpg\" alt=\"Missing teen WilliamCredit: Victoria Police\" title=\"17-Year-Old Boy Goes Missing on Camping Trip, Mom Says She\u2019s Living Her \u2018Worst Nightmare\u2019\" \/><figcaption><i>Missing teen William<br \/>Credit: Victoria Police<\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>NEED TO KNOW<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Police in Australia are searching for a 17-year-old boy with autism who went missing during a camping trip on Nov. 6<\/li>\n<li>William went missing while camping with a friend in Walhalla, a rural community located about 115 miles outside Melbourne<\/li>\n<li>\u201cI can\u2019t sleep knowing I\u2019m safe in bed and warm and he is somewhere out there and he\u2019d be so scared,\u201d the teen\u2019s mother, Elizabeth Barkley, said<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>A mother says she\u2019s experiencing one of her \u201cworst nightmares\u201d after her 17-year-old son, who has autism, went missing during a camping trip.<\/p>\n<p>Police in Victoria, Australia, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.police.vic.gov.au\/police-continue-search-missing-teen-william\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"externalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\" rel=\"nofollow\">shared<\/a> on Sunday, Nov. 8, that they are still searching for 17-year-old William after he went missing while camping with a friend in Walhalla, a rural community located about 115 miles outside Melbourne, on Friday, Nov. 6.<\/p>\n<p>William was last seen near the town\u2019s Stoney Creek Road at around 4 p.m. local time, police said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWilliam, also known as Will, was with another boy to camp for the weekend when he walked a short distance to another part of their camp,\u201d police said in a press release. \u201cWhen he failed to return shortly after, the boy searched the area but found no trace of Will.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Speaking with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2026-11-08\/missing-teenager-william-camping-walhalla-east\/107360636\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"externalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\">ABC News Australia<\/a>, William\u2019s mother, Elizabeth Barkley, said her son \u2014 who has Level 2 autism \u2014 does not have camping experience and was unfamiliar with the area.<\/p>\n<p>Police also said they believe the teen may have become disoriented and lost his way in the terrain.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/people.com\/thmb\/8JPryARV3CA9hZnlMv6vMcIepDE=\/fit-in\/1280x960\/William-110826-1-36de4b32379a4b35aed7cda31f6731d5.jpg\" alt=\"Missing teen WilliamCredit: Victoria Police\" title=\"17-Year-Old Boy Goes Missing on Camping Trip, Mom Says She\u2019s Living Her \u2018Worst Nightmare\u2019\" \/><figcaption><i>Missing teen William<br \/>Credit: Victoria Police<\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cAt the moment, he\u2019d probably be very stressed and panicking,\u201d Barkley said.<\/p>\n<p>When police searched the area, they found the teen\u2019s cooler containing food and water.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI just don\u2019t know what\u2019s happened \u2026 we\u2019ve found the esky [cooler], but there\u2019s just no sign of him. It\u2019s like he\u2019s just vanished,\u201d Barkley said.<\/p>\n<p>Police said that at the time of his disappearance, William was wearing a pair of shorts and work boots, and his phone was left behind at the campsite. The area saw lows of around 36 degrees at night.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m just really worried. He has been out there for two days. He is probably cold and hungry,\u201d the teen\u2019s mother said.<\/p>\n<p>According to Barkley, William\u2019s family is also concerned that he may have walked a long distance from the campsite, considering he is about 6-foot-2 and in good shape.<\/p>\n<p>Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for <a href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/people-news-daily-newsletter-sign-up-8692701\">PEOPLE\u2019s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI just hope he is curled up somewhere and has gone to sleep,\u201d she said. \u201cHe is a deep sleeper.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Police Acting Superintendent Melanie Hamshere told ABC News that about 65 to 70 people were taking part in the search operations for William, and police are now asking for a couple who stopped to help the teen\u2019s friend during the initial search to come forward.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re certainly concerned for Will\u2019s safety,\u201d Hamshere said. \u201cIt\u2019s been quite cold overnight for both nights.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/people.com\/thmb\/wnYRogaMOlOvCW5_DX75E956_YA=\/fit-in\/1280x960\/William-110826-3-22010ae55e874186920d90a78d773917.jpg\" alt=\"Missing teen WilliamCredit: Victoria Police\" title=\"17-Year-Old Boy Goes Missing on Camping Trip, Mom Says She\u2019s Living Her \u2018Worst Nightmare\u2019\" \/><figcaption><i>Missing teen William<br \/>Credit: Victoria Police<\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cThe longer he is out there, the more difficult it is for him,\u201d she added, noting that the teen\u2019s lack of clothing and cold weather could become dangerous.<\/p>\n<p>As for Barkley, she is urging anyone who encounters William or finds camping equipment in the area \u2014 including a blue or black pillow,<strong> <\/strong>a table or a tackle box \u2014 to contact police.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI can\u2019t sleep knowing I\u2019m safe in bed and warm and he is somewhere out there and he\u2019d be so scared,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Barkley noted that William is likely to speak to anyone he encounters.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou see these things on the news that happen to other people, and you just don\u2019t think it is going to happen to you until it does,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou don\u2019t know where he is, whether he is still alive, if he is OK. I just want him back home,\u201d she added.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cI can\u2019t sleep knowing I\u2019m safe in bed and warm and he is somewhere out there and he\u2019d be so scared,\u201d said the teen\u2019s mother, Elizabeth Barkley Missing teen WilliamCredit: Victoria Police NEED TO KNOW Police in Australia are searching for a 17-year-old boy with autism who went missing during a camping trip on Nov. 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