An autistic boy who spent two nights lost in rugged bush at Mount Disappointment remains in hospital with a suspected broken foot and possibly an insect stuck in his ear.
William Callaghan spent the night at Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital after surviving his freezing ordeal at the top of the treacherous mountain in Victoria’s north.
His mum, Penny Callaghan, told a waiting media pack on Thursday her son’s rescuer Ben Gibbs should have the mountain named after him.
William Callaghan, 14, (pictured) a teenager with non-verbal autism, went missing on Mount Disappointment in Victoria around 2.20pm on Monday
Ben Gibbs found William about 20 minutes hike to the summit of the mountain
Penny Callaghan (left), mother of William Callaghan, and Nathan Ezard prior to a press conference at the base camp at Mount Disappointment in Victoria on Wednesday
‘I would love to give him a hug, I’m incredibly thankful,’ Ms Callaghan said.
Mr Gibbs, who later described Mount Disappointment as his ‘family mountain’, found William about a 20 minute hike from the summit.
‘It was incredible to hear his family connection to the mountain,’ Ms Callaghan said. ‘I would prefer the mountain to be named after him.’
Ms Callaghan revealed that doctors believe her son may have an insect stuck in his ear.
He may also need to have a cast fitted to his leg for a suspected broken foot.
‘I don’t know how he’ll cope with that,’ she said.
The 14-year old, who has autism and cannot speak, enjoyed his first feed of McDonald’s last night, gorging himself on piles of french fries.
He also relaxed with a bit of Thomas The Tank Engine, which was what his rescuers had used to try and coax him out of the bush.
Ms Callaghan said an ear, nose and throat specialist would attempt to remove the insect from William’s ear on Thursday.
‘There are difficulties with that because he’s not going to be compliant,’ she said.
‘He doesn’t understand what’s going on, why people are trying to touch him and poke him and prod him.’
Melburnians had shivered through the city’s coldest morning since August 2018 on the night William went missing – the coldest June morning since 2015.
William had been enjoying a long weekend camping trip with his dad Phil and younger brother Robin when he took off.
As the teenager continues his amazing recovery in hospital, Australians remain fascinated as to how he managed to survive.
Mount Disappointment was named so after British explorers in 1824 made the summit in the hope of spotting Port Phillip Bay
Corbin Mundy, 17, and his dad pose for a photograph before joining the search for missing teenager William Callaghan at Mt Disappointment in Victoria
William had managed to avoid hypothermia despite the bitter cold on top of the mountain.
Ms Callaghan said it was fortunate William appeared to stay in the same area of bush he went missing from.
‘What probably surprised me about him is that he stayed in the area … he really didn’t go too far. He was clearly waiting to be rescued,’ she said.
Doctors have speculated it was likely due to his fitness and the resilience of children.
Before William was found, Ms Callaghan had told media her son was skinny, but otherwise quite active.
William was not dressed for the cold weather and had no food or water with him when he wandered off.
William Callaghan has a suspected broken foot and may have an insect stuck in his ear after his ordeal at the top of a mountain in Victoria
Rescuers had to search through thick scrub played William’s favourite music in the hope he responded
When he was eventually found, he had discarded his shoes, was cold and alone.
Ms Callaghan described her son as a light sleeper, who was likely to be on the move if able.
‘He’s very vulnerable … he’s very much in the moment. He will be seeking you know food and shelter and warmth and comfort too,’ she said.
‘He loves his food… if someone is there he’s not going to shy away from approaching someone for food. He won’t ask them – he can’t, he’s non-verbal – so he won’t, he might just try to grab it.’
His rescuer said William was thrilled to get his hands on the chocolate when he was found.
‘He didn’t seem bothered by me,’ Mr Gibbs revealed. ‘He was just happy to get the chocolate. I put some socks on him and a jacket, and after he ate half the chocolate bar I carried him out.’
William Callaghan after his rescue on Mount Disappointment on Wednesday
Mr Gibbs also discussed Thomas The Tank Engine with William to coax him from the bush. It is his favourite show.
On Wednesday, in the hours before William was found, the mother of an autistic child with similar characteristics explained what he might be going through in the bush.
‘He won’t understand to sit still and wait for rescuers, or to call out if they’re calling to him. They could be right near him and he wouldn’t call back,’ Donna Stolzenberg said.
‘He wouldn’t be thinking about consequences, only his immediate need of food and warmth … these kids do not understand the concept or consequence of danger.
‘They don’t know that wandering away can result in their own death, and in the same way they don’t know that reaching out to adults or calling for help could save them.’
Penny Callaghan outside the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne on Thursday morning
While some believe William’s autism may have helped him survive the wilderness, Ms Stolzenberg was not so sure.
‘His autism is what almost killed him. There are many people with autism who have hypotonia (low muscle tone) meaning they get exhausted easily and they find moving really tiresome,’ she said.
‘The fact William had stamina has little to do with his autism. His autism also meant he couldn’t and wouldn’t call out to rescuers who were probably right near him many times.
‘It also meant he didn’t understand he was in danger. He’s 14. He didn’t know not to wander off and as soon as he was lost he didn’t know what to do because he didn’t know he was even in danger.’
More than 450 people, including hundreds of volunteers, had desperately combed rugged terrain surrounding the summit of Mount Disappointment.