“The 1:05pm phone call held a hidden secret…” 😱

Just hours after smiling for a selfie with his heartbroken mom at breakfast, 25-year-old FIFO worker Bill Carter was dropped off at Perth Airport for his flight back to the mines… but he NEVER boarded.

Instead, he lingered inside the terminal, made a mysterious phone call at 1:05pm that police are now calling “pivotal,” then bolted in a taxi straight to a remote beach – where he vanished into thin air.

Days later, a body was found… and cops say it’s him. But what was said in that call? Why ditch the flight? Was he running from something – or toward it?

The family is devastated, mental health struggles were whispered about, and now there’s drama over a shady GoFundMe.

Full shocking details – you won’t believe what really happened… 👇

The desperate search for a young fly-in-fly-out (FIFO) worker who vanished from Perth Airport earlier this month has ended in heartbreak, with police confirming a body believed to be that of 25-year-old William “Bill” Carter was discovered near Trigg Beach. Authorities say the death is not being treated as suspicious, and a report is being prepared for the coroner.

Carter, a slim-built man with brown hair and blue eyes standing about 5’9″, was last seen alive on December 6, 2025, after his mother, Jenny O’Byrne, dropped him off at Terminal 3 around 12:40 p.m. for a scheduled flight to the Pilbara region, where he worked at a mine site near Karratha.

The pair had shared a cheerful breakfast at a cafe in Kelmscott that morning, even snapping a selfie together – an image O’Byrne later shared publicly in a bid to aid the search. “That photo was taken just as we left the Dome cafe… about 12:20 p.m.,” she told reporters at the time, noting it was for Carter’s sister.

But Carter never checked in or boarded his 2:15 p.m. flight. Instead, surveillance footage showed him lingering in the airport for roughly an hour and a half. Around 2:10 p.m., he hailed a taxi and headed north to Trigg Beach, a popular spot in Perth’s northern suburbs. He was last spotted near the local surf club on West Coast Drive about 2:40 p.m.

As days turned into a week with no sign of the young man, concerns mounted. Family members revealed Carter had recently returned from a holiday in Zambia visiting his father and had been grappling with mental health issues. O’Byrne, a longtime nurse, described her son as reserved but widely loved. Reports indicated he had recently stopped taking anti-anxiety medication and was going through what was termed a “situational crisis.”

His partner, Janae Williamson, and employer confirmed he never arrived at the mine site, prompting a massive search effort involving WA Police and community volunteers. Appeals flooded social media, with Reddit threads in the r/perth community garnering hundreds of comments and shares as locals kept an eye out.

Police released incremental updates, first confirming the taxi ride to the beach, which shifted focus to coastal searches. The breakthrough came on December 16 when a body was located in the area near where Carter was last seen. While formal identification was pending, authorities stated it was believed to be the missing 25-year-old.

“The death is not being treated as suspicious at this stage,” a WA Police spokesperson said in a statement. The discovery brought a grim closure to the 10-day ordeal, but questions lingered about Carter’s final hours.

In the aftermath, O’Byrne broke her silence to express profound grief while addressing a controversial GoFundMe page set up by the parents of Carter’s partner to cover funeral costs. “As his mother, father and sister, we are totally saddened by this,” she said in a statement to PerthNow. She emphasized that the family had not authorized the fundraiser and would never ask for public donations, urging people not to contribute amid concerns over implied consent.

Photos shared by O’Byrne in recent days painted a picture of a happy young man – smiling on beaches, posing with family during happier times. Carter, originally from Bunbury in Western Australia’s southwest, had attended Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School and studied at Murdoch University before entering the demanding FIFO lifestyle.

The tragedy has reignited conversations about the toll of FIFO work on mental health. Australia’s mining industry employs tens of thousands in remote operations, with workers often enduring long swings away from home – typically two weeks on, one week off, or similar rosters. Studies, including those from the WA Mental Health Commission, have shown FIFO employees experience psychological distress at rates three times higher than the general population.

One-third of surveyed FIFO workers report high or very high levels of distress, exacerbated by isolation, irregular schedules, and the high-pressure environment of mine sites. Advocates point to the need for better support systems, including on-site counseling and easier access to mental health resources.

Carter’s case echoes other recent incidents involving FIFO workers in WA, though his disappearance from a major airport added an layer of mystery. Colleagues described missing a flight as “unprecedented” for him, with one reportedly recalling Carter once saying, “If I miss a flight, something’s seriously wrong.”

As the family prepares for what comes next, tributes have poured in. “He was a great young bloke, full of life,” one friend posted online. Community members expressed sympathy, with many noting the selfie with his mom as a haunting final happy moment.

WA Police continue to urge anyone with information – including potential dashcam footage from the airport or beach area on December 6 – to come forward, though the investigation appears headed toward coronial proceedings.

Carter’s story serves as a somber reminder of the hidden struggles many face behind the tough exterior of Australia’s resource sector. His loved ones, now grappling with unimaginable loss, have asked for privacy as they mourn.