Non-Verbal Teen Goes Missing In Woods For Two Freezing Nights — Until His Rescuers Begin To Sing

Jun 21, 2020 by apost team

The world can be confusing to traverse for people with autism and can lead to some terrifying and dangerous experiences. This was the case for non-verbal 14-year-old William Callaghan from Melbourne, Australia, who got separated from his father and brother during a hike on Mount Disappointment. Fortunately, some creative heroes were able to use an interesting method to find him in the dense bush of the mountain.

Before being found, the teen had been lost in the thick woods for two days, as ABC reported. It became a race against time as the temperatures had been dropping below freezing during the night.

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Authorities accepted that their methods weren't working and they went to William's friends and family to learn more about what the teen needed and liked to help draw Will out of hiding.

Volunteers were then asked to play music to get the attention of William. One volunteer began making his way through the bush singing and to his astonishment, Ben Gibbs spotted the lost teenager who had come out of his hiding spot upon hearing the voice. His mother expressed her gratitude to everyone that had come out and helped in the search for her son.

William came out of the situation with a broken foot along with some cuts and bruises and was treated at a local hospital, but was otherwise fine. It's a surprisingly happy ending for such a potentially disastrous situation.

The rescue of William was captured on video and it was an emotional moment when the non-traditional search methods turned out to be successful. The rescuers knew that they had to do something special to be able to ensure a safe reuniting with William's anxious family. While things were looking bleak near the beginning of this story, the ending is absolutely incredible and shows how important it is never to give up hope in a desperate situation.

Do you have any inspiring people in your life with autism? Make sure you and your friends and family watch this video to see a great example of the importance of a supportive community that pushes forward even when things look dark.