Grave fears for non-verbal autistic boy who went missing overnight up Mount Disappointment as temperatures plunged below zero – as police warn he could be hiding in people’s ‘beds or outhouses’
- Search for missing autistic teenager William Callaghan will continued overnight
- The non-verbal teenager disappeared on a bushwalk with family on Monday
- Concerns for William are growing as temperatures plummeted overnight
About 300 people searched for a teenager with with non-verbal autism on a Victorian mountain as temperatures dropped to freezing overnight.
William Callaghan, 14, went missing when he ran ahead of his family on Mount Disappointment’s summit about 2.20pm on Monday.
The boy was last seen on the south side of the hiking spot, 60km north of Melbourne, and was only wearing blue tracksuit pants and a blue hoodie.
300 people searched overnight for William Callaghan, 14, (pictured) a teenager with non-verbal autism who went missing on Mount Disappointment in Victoria on Monday
William was with his family on Mount Disappointment (pictured) when he went missing without any food, water or warm clothes for the freezing overnight weather
Overnight temperatures dropped below freezing and sparked grave concerns for William’s safety.
An air and ground search started on Monday afternoon and extended overnight as emergency services, air and ground police canvassed the area looking for William.
Acting Inspector Christine Lalor said on Tuesday that William had not been located.
She urged locals to ‘please check their homes, check their beds as well as check any outhouses to see if William is in those locations.’
‘William doesn’t verbalise so if anyone finds him, the best way to communicate with him is just to be patient and calm with him,’ Inspector Lalor said.
William has been described as very energetic and food-focused, and disappeared without any food or water with him.
He was last seen wearing blue tracksuit pants and a blue windcheater.
Police believe he could have covered a lot of distance and said there’s a chance he had walked into a house and gone to the fridge to help himself to food.
‘William is capable of wandering a fair distance. He does like food and water and there is a chance that he could go into houses or places to seek food or water,’ Inspector Lalor said.
‘He might also try to put himself to bed,’ a police statement said.
Police are asking local neighbours to check their bedrooms and outhouses and contact Triple Zero if they sight William.
Inspector Lalor said if anyone sees the boy, approach him in a calm manner.
‘He will normally tap his chest to communicate so if anyone finds him if they can call triple zero straightaway but just approach him in a calm manner,’ she told 3AW.
There are no plans for the search to be stood down until the boy is found, police said.
William (pictured) has been described as very energetic and food-focused and police said there is a chance he walked into a house and helped himself to food