MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — A 17-year-old boy with autism was found alive Thursday after six days lost in eastern Australian woodlands.
The boy, whom police identified only as William, had begun camping with a teenage friend when he disappeared last Friday near Walhalla, a former gold-mining town 185 kilometers (115 miles) east of Melbourne, police said.
A police helicopter crew found him surrounded by wilderness lying asleep on a flat rock beside a creek, and he was later reunited with his mother. William was in good spirits and mostly in good health, the police statement said.
Video shot from the rescue helicopter showed he was shirtless and sunburned. He was wearing shorts and boots and was using towels as blankets.
“I’m just over the moon that he’s alive,” his mother, Elizabeth, told reporters. The AP has decided not to provide her family name to avoid identifying her son.
“And he’s never leaving the house again. He’s grounded for life. He’s not going anywhere ever again,” she joked.
William was later taken to a hospital for his health to be monitored, police said.
William's family have said he has Level 2 autism. That requires “substantial support,” according to the Australian advocacy group Autism360.
Such a person may have marked deficits in verbal and non-verbal social communication and rely heavily on routines and predictable activities. Disruption can cause significant distress.
The Southern Hemisphere spring weather had been mild for the past week in the alpine region where William was lost and there had been little rain.
Elizabeth had dropped off her son and his friend last Friday for a weekend of camping. William walked a short distance from the campsite to the drop-off location to collect more camping equipment but never returned to his friend, police said.
After becoming lost, William trekked for days up and down “some very steep terrain,” Acting Police Inspector Jason Benbow said.
He spent the last two days where he was found at the creek, trapped by the steepness of his surrounds 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the his camp site, Benbow said.
“He woke up to the sound of the helicopter, gave them a thumbs up and they winched him to safety,” Benbow told reporters.
The extensive police search for him involved more than 100 emergency services personnel and volunteers.
In this image made from video and provided by the Victoria State Police 17-year-old William, center right, is embraced by his mother Elizabeth, only first names were provided by police, while in a helicopter in Cowwarr, Australia, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026, after William spent six days lost in eastern Australian woodlands. (Victoria Police via AP)
RAWALPINDI, Pakistan (AP) — Debutant fast bowler Saqib Khan led Pakistan’s comeback in the first cricket test with a seven-wicket haul as Sri Lanka took a first-innings lead of 12 runs on Thursday.
Saqib picked up 7-130 and made full use of perfect overcast conditions with his incisive swing bowling to dismiss Sri Lanka for 446 inside 1 1/2 hours on Day 4 as the visitors lost their last six wickets for 42 runs.
Saqib had Asitha Fernando caught behind through review that gave wicketkeeper Ghazi Ghori his sixth catch behind the wickets and the 31-year-old pace bowler became only the fourth bowler after Mohammad Nazir, Mohammad Zahid and Abrar Ahmed to grab seven wickets in an innings on test debut for Pakistan.
Fernando had one of the four Pakistan debutants Tayyab Arif trapped leg before wicket as Pakistan reached 39-1 in the second innings at lunch for an overall lead of 27 runs. Azan Awais was unbeaten on 16 with Mohammad Taha not out on 12.
The greenish wicket on which Sri Lanka lost only one wicket on the second day sprung to life in favorable conditions with seven wickets falling in the first session on the fourth day.
In a relentless eight-over spell on the fourth morning, Saqib grabbed 5-25 after Sri Lanka had resumed on a formidable 404-4 on the back of centurions Dhananjaya de Silva and captain Kusal Mendis.
Saqib struck off the fifth ball of the morning to break the 249-run stand when he found the outside edge of de Silva's bat, who couldn’t add to his overnight 167.
Saud Shakeel, who had dropped de Silva on 38 on the third day, once again spilled a low catch off Mendis, but two balls later Ghori brought up another spectacular diving catch off Saqib’s probing delivery outside the off stump to end Sri Lanka skipper’s knock of 119.
Sri Lanka’s rising star Sonal Dinusha, who has already scored three centuries and two half centuries in his previous five test matches, made 20 before he went for an expansive drive against Saqib and edged to slips cordon as the pacer kissed the turf to complete the five-wicket haul.
Milan Rathnayake overtook Pakistan’s first-innings score of 434-9 declared with a pulled boundary off Razaullah before Saqib grabbed two more and Razaullah (1-140) wrapped up a perfect morning for Pakistan by having Rathnayake caught at deep fine leg.
See AP’s full cricket coverage here
Sri Lanka's Asitha Fernando celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Pakistan's Tayyab Arif during the fourth day of the first Test cricket match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)
Pakistan's Saqib Khan walks off the field after taking seven wickets during the fourth day of the first Test cricket match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)
Pakistan's Saqib Khan performs Sajdah, a prayer bow in gratitude to God, after taking his fifth wicket during the fourth day of the first Test cricket match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)
Pakistan's Saqib Khan appeals for an LBW against Sri Lanka's Lahiru Kumara during the fourth day of the first Test cricket match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)
