“WE SINCERELY APOLOGISE” 😢

After a heartbreaking 10-day search that gripped Perth – the smiling FIFO worker who shared a final breakfast selfie with his mom, ditched his flight, took a mystery taxi to Trigg Beach, and vanished… police have just issued a devastating final update.

A body has been found. It’s believed to be 25-year-old Bill Carter.

His grieving family is in pieces, slamming an unauthorized GoFundMe that popped up implying their approval for funeral donations. “We would never ask the public for money,” his mom says.

Mental health struggles, a “situational crisis,” and now this tragic end. What really happened in those final hours?

The full gut-wrenching details – including the police statement that has everyone talking… 👇

Western Australia Police have confirmed the tragic conclusion to the intensive 10-day search for missing 25-year-old fly-in-fly-out (FIFO) worker William “Bill” Carter, announcing that a body believed to be his was located near Trigg Beach. The death is not being treated as suspicious, bringing a somber end to a case that captured widespread attention.

Carter disappeared on December 6, 2025, after his mother, Jenny O’Byrne, dropped him off at Perth Airport’s Terminal 3 around 12:40 p.m. for a flight to his mining job in the Pilbara region near Karratha. The pair had shared a relaxed breakfast at a Dome cafe in Kelmscott, capturing a now-haunting selfie that O’Byrne later shared in appeals.

But Carter never boarded the 2:15 p.m. flight. CCTV footage revealed he lingered in the terminal before hailing a taxi around 2:10 p.m., directing it to Trigg Beach in Perth’s northern suburbs. He was last seen near the Trigg Beach Surf Life Saving Club on West Coast Drive about 2:40 p.m., carrying just a small backpack and dressed casually in a black t-shirt, shorts, and black-and-white sneakers.

As the search dragged on, family members voiced concerns over Carter’s mental health. O’Byrne, a seasoned nurse, described her son as going through a “situational crisis” after recently returning from a trip to Zambia to visit his father. He had been tapering off anti-anxiety medication and exhibiting “bizarre behaviors” uncharacteristic of the quiet, well-liked young man.

On December 16 – exactly 10 days after his disappearance – police announced the grim discovery. “Formal identification is yet to be completed but it is believed to be 25-year-old man, William Carter,” a spokesperson said. A report is being prepared for the coroner.

The news rippled through the community, with social media tributes pouring in and Reddit threads in r/perth shifting from hopeful sightings to condolences. Friends remembered Carter as a “great young bloke full of life,” while colleagues noted his reliability – missing a flight was “unprecedented.”

In the days following the announcement, O’Byrne broke her silence in a statement to media, expressing profound grief while addressing a controversial development: an unauthorized GoFundMe page set up by the parents of Carter’s partner, Janae Williamson, to raise funds for funeral expenses.

“It has come to our attention that some GoFundMe pages have been set up, tacitly implying our consent to ask the public for money to donate to his funeral costs,” O’Byrne said. “As his mother, father and sister, we are totally saddened by this. We would never ask the public for donations and urge people not to contribute.”

The statement highlighted the added distress for the family during an already unbearable time, as they navigate arrangements privately.

Carter’s background painted a picture of a typical young Australian entering the resource sector. Hailing from Bunbury in WA’s southwest, he attended Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School, studied at Murdoch University, and embraced the FIFO lifestyle for its financial rewards despite the known hardships.

The case has thrust the mental health challenges of FIFO workers back into the spotlight. Australia’s mining industry, particularly in Western Australia, relies on tens of thousands of fly-in-fly-out employees who endure rigorous rosters – often weeks away in remote camps followed by brief home time.

Research from bodies like the WA Mental Health Commission indicates FIFO workers suffer psychological distress at significantly higher rates than the broader population. Factors include isolation from family and friends, disrupted sleep patterns from shift work, high-stakes environments, and stigma around seeking help in male-dominated sites.

One in three FIFO workers reports high levels of distress, with risks of anxiety, depression, and substance issues elevated. Advocacy groups have pushed for improvements like mandatory on-site counselors, flexible rosters, and destigmatization programs. Carter’s story, involving whispers of a personal crisis, underscores these calls.

Community response was swift and emotional. Volunteers had joined police in scouring Trigg Beach dunes and coastal areas, while appeals for dashcam footage yielded the critical taxi revelation. Online, discussions urged mates to “check in” and highlighted resources like Lifeline (13 11 14) and MensLine Australia.

Tributes emphasized Carter’s positive traits – affable, reserved, loved by many. Photos shared by O’Byrne showed him smiling during happier moments, including family holidays and beach outings.

As formal processes continue, police have closed major search operations but encouraged any remaining information to be reported. The focus now shifts to the coronial inquiry, which may shed more light on the circumstances.

Carter’s tragic passing serves as a stark reminder of silent struggles in high-pressure industries. His family has requested privacy as they mourn, with the selfie from that final breakfast standing as a bittersweet memory of normalcy shattered.

The broader conversation around FIFO mental health support is likely to intensify, with experts hoping cases like this prompt real change in an sector vital to Australia’s economy.