The search that gripped Western Australia for ten agonizing days has ended in the way no one wanted: police have located a body believed to be that of 25-year-old fly-in fly-out worker William Patrick Carter, the young man who mysteriously skipped his flight to a remote Pilbara mining site and instead headed to a quiet beach north of Perth.

WA Police announced the grim discovery on December 16, 2025, stating that while formal identification is still pending, they are confident the remains are those of Carter, who vanished on December 6. “Formal identification is yet to be completed but it is believed to be 25-year-old man, William Carter, who went missing on Saturday, December 6, 2025,” a spokesperson said. The death is not being treated as suspicious, and a report will be prepared for the Coroner – words that offer cold comfort to a family left devastated.

For Jenny O’Byrne, Carter’s mother, the news shattered the fragile hope she had clung to since that ordinary Saturday morning. She had driven her son – known affectionately as Bill – from their home in Kelmscott to Perth Airport’s Terminal 3, stopping for breakfast at a Dome cafe along the way. There, in a moment now frozen in time, she snapped a selfie: Bill smiling warmly, looking relaxed after a recent overseas holiday, ready (or so she thought) for another roster in the mines.

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William Carter: FIFO worker who disappeared after failing to board flight found dead

“I said ‘come on, let’s take a selfie for your sister’ because she’d asked if I was with him,” Jenny later shared, the photo becoming the centerpiece of desperate public appeals. Dropped off around 12:40 p.m., Bill was scheduled to fly to a site near Karratha – part of the grueling but lucrative FIFO lifestyle that defines so many young West Australians.

But Bill never checked in. Never boarded. Airline records confirmed he lingered at the airport for about an hour and a half before calling a taxi around 2:10 p.m. The destination? Trigg Beach – a picturesque stretch of coastline in Perth’s northern suburbs, known for its white sands, clear waters, and stunning sunsets, but utterly removed from the red dust of the Pilbara.

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Perth beach at sunset. People in the water on a balmy summer evening at Trigg Beach. Perth, Western Australia Stock Photo – Alamy

The taxi driver dropped him near the Trigg Surf Lifesaving Club on West Coast Drive around 2:40 p.m. CCTV and witness accounts captured him clearly: slim build, 174cm tall, brown hair, blue eyes, carrying a small backpack, dressed in a black t-shirt, shorts, and black-and-white sneakers. He was seen walking north along the coastal path – calm, unhurried, perhaps seeking solitude.

That was the last confirmed sighting. When Bill failed to arrive at camp, his employer alerted family. By evening, Jenny reported him missing, her concerns immediate and profound. “His family and police have serious concerns for his welfare,” appeals stated repeatedly.

What followed was a massive, community-driven search. Police coordinated ground teams, drones, and coastal sweeps. Volunteers scoured Trigg’s dunes and paths. Doorbell footage was reviewed, locals interviewed. The selfie with Jenny went viral, shared thousands of times with pleas: “Have you seen Bill?”

The FIFO community – that brotherhood of workers enduring weeks away for big pay – rallied hard. Colleagues recognized the routine: airport drop-offs, scheduled flights, the expectation of site check-in. Bill’s absence hit close to home, sparking quiet conversations about the hidden toll of the job.

safetowork.com.au

FIFO workers’ health and wellbeing under spotlight in Pilbara – Safe To Work

Bill’s background was the classic WA resources story. Raised in the south-west, he attended Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School, studied at Murdoch University, then entered the mining world young. Sites near Karratha support massive iron ore operations – cornerstones of the economy, employing thousands in FIFO roles. The pay is strong, the work demanding: 12-hour shifts in extreme heat, isolation in camp dongas, irregular schedules disrupting life back home.

Friends described Bill as quiet, reliable, likable. “He was the guy who’d always help,” one said anonymously. But the lifestyle’s pressures – separation from family, mental fatigue – are well-documented. Jenny’s appeals hinted at concerns for his wellbeing, words now heavy with hindsight.

Trigg Beach became the emotional epicenter. Usually alive with surfers and families, it took on a somber air. Candles appeared on the sand, messages in guestbooks. Locals reported possible sightings – a young man matching Bill’s description sitting alone, gazing at the sea.

On December 16 – ten days after disappearance – police located a body during ongoing searches. Details spared the family pain, but the timeline and area aligned perfectly. Non-suspicious, coronial report to follow – standard, yet devastating.

The news rippled through Perth. Tributes online: “Heartbroken for his mum.” “Rest easy, Bill.” FIFO mates planned memorials. Flags lowered at some sites.

Jenny’s world shattered. The woman who shared that smiling selfie now faces unimaginable grief. Family requested privacy, support services mobilized.

Bill’s story highlights broader issues. FIFO workers – over 60,000 in WA – face unique strains: loneliness, roster fatigue, mental health stigma. Unions push for better support; companies expand programs. But tragedies like this underscore the urgency.

As Christmas approaches, Perth mourns a 25-year-old with life ahead. That airport goodbye, the taxi to the beach – ordinary choices turned fateful.

Police thanked the public for overwhelming help. “Your shares made a difference.”

The Coroner will provide answers. For now, a community reflects: check on mates, speak up, seek help.

Bill Carter – son, brother, worker – gone too soon. His smile in that selfie endures, a reminder of joy amid sorrow.