Second boy with autism wanders away from his mother sparking a desperate search – after 14-year-old spends a second night in the freezing Victorian bush
- Darshan Siegel walked away from his mother in Heatherbrae on Tuesday night
- Police were unable to locate him, with the search continuing on Wednesday
- The 13-year-old is the second autistic boy to go missing in Australia this week
- Search will continue into a third day for William Callaghan in Victorian bushland
- The 14-year-old was separated from his family at Mt Disappointment on Monday
A second teenage boy with autism has gone missing after wandering away from his mother in the NSW Hunter region.
Police say Darshan Siegel, 13, walked off from a car park in the Port Stephens area while travelling from Sydney to the NSW north coast with his mother.
They had stopped for a rest at the car park in Heatherbrae, at the intersection of the Pacific Hwy and Masonite Rd.
Police were alerted just after 10.30pm on Tuesday and began a search with the dog squad but could not find Darshan.
A desperate search is underway for Darshan Siegel who went missing in Heatherbrae in NSW on Tuesday night
An increased search party will continue to look for Darshan on Wednesday, who is described as around 180cm tall with blonde hair and a thin build.
He was wearing a pink hooded jumper, black jacket, black pants, and yellow shoes when he went missing.
Police are urging anyone who sees Darshan to call triple zero or Crime Stoppers.
Darshan’s disappearance comes as the desperate search for another teenage boy with non-verbal autism has entered its third day.
William Callaghan, 14, went missing on Monday afternoon while climbing Mount Disappointment with his family.
Temperatures have plummeted to below freezing for two nights running while William was stranded in the thick bush while just wearing trackpants and a hoodie.
The search for autistic teenager William Callaghan in Victorian bushland has entered its third day
‘We’ve had people searching 24 hours for the last couple of days and a lot of people out in the field,’ Senior Sergeant Greg Paul told Nine’s Today on Wednesday.
Crews have been using different techniques to try and find William, including playing Thomas the Tank Engine over PA systems.
‘We’re fairly confident we can have success. We’re thinking positive,’ Snr Sgt Paul said.
‘There is a sense of urgency obviously but we are really hopeful we’ll get a successful day today.’
More than 300 volunteers have joined around 150 police and emergency services to find the missing teen, who taps on his chest to communicate.
He went missing without food and water and could have covered a lot of distance, police said.
It is believed he could have tried to walk into a house for food or find a bed, and police have asked residents to check their outhouses.
SES personnel trawl through the forest surrounding Mount Disappointment searching for William