Bond between two dads: William's stepfather speaks of family's nightmare - The Age

"[William's dad] Phil and I have talked lots over the last few days and, you know, Phil's very magnanimous – he said to me multiple times over the years and the last couple of days that, you know, you're just as much his dad as I am.

"The feelings that Phil will have been going through over the last few days are the worst for any of us."

Mr Ezard said William enjoyed being reunited with the family's dogs and headed straight for the swing set after arriving home from hospital on Thursday afternoon.

"Penny [Will's mum] had to literally drag him inside out of the cold."

Mr Gibbs found William off the main hiking track and gave him socks, a jacket and chocolate before carrying him out of the thick, dense forest.

Mr Ezard thanked the searchers for listening so carefully to all the instructions about how to approach William, issuing a special thanks to Mr Gibbs.

William's rescuer: Ben Gibbs.Credit:Justin McManus

"The fact that he let you carry him is a huge thing. Will doesn't like being touched so you obviously made him feel very comfortable. Ben is just the picture-perfect person for everyone that was up there."

Nathan Ezard carrying his stepson William.Credit:Justin McManus

Mr Ezard was shopping in Drysdale, where the family lives, when he was told William had gone missing.

He jumped in the car with Ms Callaghan and drove to Mount Disappointment.

SES volunteers searching for William on Tuesday.Credit:Chis Hopkins

"At the time I thought, 'He will be found in 10 minutes … we will get a call in 10 minutes and told we’ve got him'," he said.

However, the search lasted for almost 46 hours, with more than 450 volunteer and professional searchers out looking for the lost teenager.

"The time up there was excruciating," Mr Ezard said.

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"From my perspective, I've been trying to tell Phil, I understand what you’re going through is horrible. The feelings he would have been going through are the worst for any of us.

"It's any dad's worst fear to lose a child in the bush or whatever like that."

Mr Ezard was standing waiting for some food at a police marshalling area on Wednesday when the family's nightmare came to an end; a close friend told him William had been found.

"I was stunned, I suppose I didn't react," he said.

Penny Callaghan greets friends after finding out her son had been found. Credit:Justin McManus

He rushed to find Ms Callaghan. "She saw me coming in the four-wheel-drive. And I saw her face. I knew then that she had some inkling of what was going on," he said.

"At that point, it was not about us."

Mr Ezard said William has an "infectious smile" and "bops around the place" when listening to happy music, such as the theme tune to Thomas the Tank Engine.

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https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiiAFodHRwczovL3d3dy50aGVhZ2UuY29tLmF1L25hdGlvbmFsL3ZpY3RvcmlhL2JvbmQtYmV0d2Vlbi10d28tZGFkcy13aWxsaWFtLXMtc3RlcGZhdGhlci1zcGVha3Mtb2YtZmFtaWx5LXMtbmlnaHRtYXJlLTIwMjAwNjEyLXA1NTF4MS5odG1s0gGIAWh0dHBzOi8vYW1wLnRoZWFnZS5jb20uYXUvbmF0aW9uYWwvdmljdG9yaWEvYm9uZC1iZXR3ZWVuLXR3by1kYWRzLXdpbGxpYW0tcy1zdGVwZmF0aGVyLXNwZWFrcy1vZi1mYW1pbHktcy1uaWdodG1hcmUtMjAyMDA2MTItcDU1MXgxLmh0bWw?oc=5

2020-06-12 02:57:43Z
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