A determined search is underway to discover a lacking Victorian teenager who might have been impressed by a well-known e book to go "walkabout" in bushland with little provides.
Samuel Thomson, 19, left his Lysterfield South house final Thursday morning to go tenting, leaving a "cryptic" be aware contained in the e book Into the Wild that he was going off the grid.
The teenager then obtained in his automotive and drove north-west, dumping his automotive about 20-kilometres outdoors of the regional metropolis Swan Hill, about 3.5 hours from Melbourne.
His mom Elizabeth Thomson right this moment gave an impassioned plea for any campers or locals who might have seen her son to come back ahead, as he has not answered the quite a few messages and cellphone calls left by his household and mates.
The household and police are additionally involved that the teenager doesn't have sufficient meals or provides to outlive in bushland on his personal for an extended time period.
"Sam hasn't answered any of his messages from us," she mentioned.
"If he was tenting with mates and I despatched him a message it could be regular for him to perhaps to not reply me - as a result of he is tenting together with his mates.
"However our concern is that none of his mates know the place he's and he hasn't answered any of the quite a few messages which have gone to his cellphone from his mates or from his household."
The final time she spoke to her son was the evening previous to him leaving for his tenting journey.
Ms Thomson mentioned her son had been in "high quality kind" after going out with mates to a trivia evening, the place he had a good time.
She heard him in his room early within the morning about 7.30am the following day, however she didn't interrupt him as she knew he was going tenting.
Nevertheless, when he didn't reply any calls or texts and so they discovered the odd be aware in his e book - they knew one thing was not proper.
"The be aware that was discovered was very cryptic - sure he talked about he was going walkabout and he mentioned he that he can be again - however as a result of it was contained in the e book and he was taken by the story of the e book when he purchased it and browse it a 12 months in the past, that is triggered us nice concern," Ms Thomson mentioned.
"We do not know what is going on by means of his head."
Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild relies on the true story of Chris McCandless, who hitchhiked by means of the Alaskan wilderness, residing off the land, till he later died of hunger.
Senior Constable Imogen Brill mentioned she feared Sam had probably taken inspiration from the e book, however they remained optimistic.
"We're conscious of the ending of that e book and it does play into our considerations, nevertheless it's not essentially the explanation we're looking for him," she mentioned.
"We do not consider he has any meals or cash or cell phone.
"He does have some tenting tools. We're involved that he's in a distant location and he is not in a position to contact anybody and he would not have sufficient possessions to have the ability to final an extended time period within the bush on his personal."
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Sam was final seen by a pair referred to as Sally and Rick, who picked him up whereas hitchhiking on February 11.
They let him camp of their yard together with his tent after which took him to a city referred to as Nyah, about 30-kilometres north-west of Swan Hill.
Sam informed the couple he had plans to journey to Mildura.
"Beautiful couple - Sally and Rick picked him up and gave him some meals - pretty to know that," Ms Thomson mentioned.
"He gave them sincere details about who he was. He gave the impression to be in sound thoughts nonetheless he was evasive about the place he was going."
Sam is believed to be travelling on foot, with police and his father David scouring native campsites and cities of their seek for him.
Ms Thomson mentioned since her son's disappearance, the household had felt a "rollercoaster" of feelings and had been holding onto the hope he was secure.
"He is had two years of COVID lockdown and all of the restrictions on younger folks - I hope and holding onto the concept he's having a beautiful time exploring the world off the grid."
Sam is believed to be travelling with a blue and inexperienced Pioneer mountain climbing backpack, a black and crimson tent and a blue sleeping bag.
Police have urged anybody with info on his whereabouts to contact Narre Warren Police Station on 9705 3111.