Zachary Chapman, 29, found alive and well after WA police held concerns for welfare

A walker’s cross-country jaunt for charity took an unexpected turn when interstate police issued a concern for his welfare – but he says it was all a misunderstanding. FIND OUT WHY.

29-year-old Zachary Chapman was found on Tuesday after ‘going missing’ on a 4000km walk from Darwin to Perth for the Black Dog Institute. Picture: Facebook

September 11: A walker’s cross-country jaunt for charity took an unexpected turn when interstate police issued a concern for his welfare – but the now-found walker says all was not as it seemed.

Zachary Chapman, 29, who is walking to Perth from Darwin through WA’s Kimberley region, was walking the Gibb River Rd when news broke that WA Police held concerns for his welfare on Tuesday, September 10.

Mr Chapman was found safe and well on the same day – and told this masthead the whole thing stemmed from trolley troubles and an unexpected encounter with a stranded family on a stretch of outback highway.

Mr Chapman has been undertaking the 4000km walk with a trolley which holds all of his gear.

But on Tuesday morning, just two kilometres into his day’s walk, disaster struck.

29-year-old Zachary Chapman is alive and well after WA Police held concerns for his welfare. Picture: Zachary Chapman

“I hit a doughy, and I lost control of the trolley, as heavy as it is,” he said.

“I hit that, rolled the trolley, buckled all three of my wheels and only had one spare, so I was completely stuck.”

Mr Chapman said he decided to walk further ahead to get reception and call a mate, when he came across something unexpected: a stranded family, who were bogged on the road.

“There was a family, two young kids, aged about six, the sister was about 10, the grandmother and the mother,” he said.

“I asked them if they were OK – they weren’t – they’d been stuck there for 12 hours and not a single person stopped to help them.”

Mr Chapman said he went back to his trolley and came back with food and water, before setting off his EPIRB to get the family some help.

With his mate arriving to pick him up, together they helped get the family unstuck, before following them to Ellenbrae station.

Mr Chapman said he then got some unexpected news from his family: he had been reported as missing.

“My sister said ‘Zac, are you aware there’s a huge missing persons report out about you all across the country?’,” he said.

“I said ‘I had no idea’.”

Mr Chapman contacted WA Police to let them know he was safe – and said he has no plans to stop his walk from the Top End to Perth.

Mr Chapman – who expects to make it to Perth by February at the latest – said once he gets a new trolley, he’d be back on the road raising money for the Black Dog Institute.

“What it (the walk) really comes down too is I just want to help people,” he said.

“I know how it feels to be stuck in that rut you can’t get out of.

“When I went through my own struggles I know the Black Dog Institute really helped me out, hence why I’m trying to raise $250,000 for them.”

‘Nervous’: Daunting last post of charity walker missing in Aussie outback

September 10: A man hoping to raise $250,000 walking from the Top End to the west coast has not been heard from for two days, with local police now holding concerns for his welfare.

Zachary Chapman, 29 and originally from the Hunter Valley in NSW, took off from Darwin in June, planning to walk all the way to Perth.

Mr Chapman was aiming to raise $250,000 for the Black Dog foundation.

He had made it past Kununurra when Western Australia Police put out a concern for welfare notice on Wednesday, September 10.

Police said he was last seen on Sunday, September 8, leaving Home Valley Station, 120km east of Kununurra, according to the ABC.

On his Facebook page, Zac’s Path to Perth, Mr Walker said he was tackling the Gibb River Road.

His latest post said he was “nervous” about tackling the road, but will “give this my all”.

29-year-old Zachary Chapman has gone missing in the Kimberly attempting to walk from Darwin to Perth for the Black Dog Institute. Picture: Facebook

“I’ll head out this afternoon once it cools down a little. Then I’ll do a few km to get the hang of the terrain again and set up camp for the night and continue on as per the plan I mentioned in my prior posts,” the latest post said.

He was tackling the walk with a trolley, which a WA police spokesperson said he had left behind.

Talking to the ABC, Kununurra Police Inspector Neil Vanderplank said the region was facing high temperatures.

“He’s somewhere near Ellenbrae Station and has suffered probably a bit of heat exhaustion by the sounds of what has been relayed to us and is trying to make his way back towards Wyndham,” he said.

Mr Walker is described as having a slim build, short brown hair, and being 160 cm tall.

WA police are urging anyone with information to get in contact on 131 444.

Originally published as Zachary Chapman, 29, found alive and well after WA police held concerns for welfare