Missing teenage boy ‘Josh’ found alive in Great Otway National Park

A Dandenong boy who became lost while hiking in the Great Otway National Park has been found alive by police.

A teenager who went missing in the Otways near Lavers Hill was found alive on Sunday. Picture: David Crosling

A Dandenong boy who became lost while hiking in the Great Otway National Park has been found.

Josh, 14, was found by police on Sunday morning a few kilometres from his family’s Apollo Bay campsite.

Sergeant Damien Bould said the teen took shelter from the heavy rain and wind in a structure until he was picked up nearby.

Sgt Bould said a local spotted Josh wandering down a track on Saturday afternoon and went to retrieve his car to help the teen search for his family, but by the time he had returned Josh was gone.

Police located the missing teenager. Picture: David Crosling

Josh found a silver mountain bike that he rode along main roads and walking tracks in search of his family, who were originally in Apollo Bay for a day trip.

Josh’s step-father, Damien, said the overnight ordeal was “very stressful”.

“We we’re searching all night,” Damien said.

“We just went for a walk down a trail and we got split,” he said.

Damien was very thankful police and generous locals weathered the wet terrain to find Josh.

Josh had some scratches to his knees and legs from walking in dense bushland, but was well considering the cold weather.

“He is doing good. He is a little bit cold,” he said.

“It is a good relief. I could only imagine what he was thinking out there by himself.”

Josh wore shorts and black thongs as he left the Lavers Hill police station and waved to police and emergency crews who tended to him inside.

Damien, Josh’s older brother and his mother followed closely behind.

Damien said the family’s next move will be to make their way home and allow Josh to freshen up.

Acting Ins Damian Ferrari talks to the media. Saturday. Picture: David Crosling

“We’ll get home. I think he needs a good bath and probably some sleep and a good feed,” Damien said.

“He’s just got some Snickers bars so he’d be happy about that.”

Josh disappeared during a hike with his family on Phillips Track near Triplet Falls in Wyelangta on Saturday night.

Other groups of campers and a farmer had seen him near the Aire Crossing campsite, about seven kilometres away, just before 7.40pm.

A mother and her twin daughters also went missing in the national park that spans waterfalls, rough coastland and mountain terrain in June 2020 when they became lost in dense forest.

They were found along with their pet dog after spending the winter night sleeping on makeshift fern beds to keep warm.