A heartbroken mother who shared a cheerful selfie with her son just hours before dropping him at the airport has been dealt the devastating blow no parent ever wants: police have found a body believed to be that of her missing 25-year-old FIFO worker Bill Carter.

William Patrick Carter, known as Bill to his loved ones, vanished without a trace on December 6 after his mum Jenny O’Byrne drove him from their family home in Kelmscott to Perth Airport for what should have been a routine flight back to his mining job in the remote Pilbara region.

In a twist that left investigators baffled, the young man never boarded his plane. Instead, he hopped into a taxi and headed straight to a popular beach – where he was last seen strolling along the sand with a small backpack, seemingly lost in thought.

Ten agonising days later, on Tuesday December 16, Western Australia Police announced they had located a body during their ongoing searches. While formal identification is still pending, officers say they are confident it is Bill – and there are no suspicious circumstances.

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The tragic discovery brings a grim end to a desperate search that gripped the nation, with pleas for information splashed across social media and news bulletins as family and friends clung to hope.

Jenny O’Byrne had spoken publicly during the ordeal, revealing her quiet, likable son had been going through a tough personal time and there were real concerns for his wellbeing. Now, that worst fear has become reality.

The nightmare began like any ordinary morning for a FIFO family. Jenny picked up her son, fresh from an overseas holiday, and the pair stopped for breakfast at a cafe near the airport. She snapped that now-poignant selfie – Bill smiling casually in a black t-shirt – before waving him off at Terminal 3 around 12.40pm.

He was due to fly to a site near Karratha, one of the harsh but lucrative outposts that power Australia’s mining boom. But airline checks confirmed he never checked in.

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Perth Airport – Wikipedia

About 90 minutes later, Bill called a taxi from the airport and asked to be taken to Trigg Beach, a stunning stretch of white sand and turquoise water in Perth’s affluent northern suburbs – miles away from any flight path.

CCTV and witness sightings captured him arriving near the surf lifesaving club on West Coast Drive around 2.40pm. Slim-built with brown hair and blue eyes, standing 174cm tall, he was dressed in shorts, white sneakers and that same black tee, carrying just a small backpack as he wandered north along the coastline.

And then… nothing. No phone calls, no messages, no sightings. When he failed to turn up at the remote camp, alarms were raised.

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Trigg Island – My Beach

Police launched an immediate appeal, flooding the media with his description and that haunting last image. Searches zeroed in on Trigg and the surrounding areas, with officers combing beaches, parks and coastal paths. The public rallied, sharing posts far and wide, while the tight-knit FIFO community held its breath – all too aware of the mental toll the high-pressure lifestyle can take.

Bill had followed a classic West Australian path into the industry. He attended Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School, studied at Murdoch University, then signed up for the fly-in fly-out roster that promises big pay packets but demands weeks away from home in dusty, isolated camps.

Thousands live this life, jetting between Perth’s suburbs and the vast Pilbara, fuelling the iron ore and gas giants that keep the economy humming. But behind the fat salaries lurk stories of loneliness, irregular hours and the strain of constant travel.

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Jenny’s pleas hinted at those hidden struggles. She described recent personal challenges and situational difficulties, words that now resonate with heartbreaking clarity. Industry insiders know the script all too well – employee assistance programs, on-site counsellors and hotlines like Lifeline are pushed hard, but not everyone reaches out.

As the days dragged on with no breakthrough, the search widened. Doorbell cameras were checked, businesses canvassed, coastal trails walked again and again. The resources sector pulled together, colleagues watching updates with a sinking feeling.

Then came Tuesday’s announcement. A body located during continued operations. No location details released to spare the family further pain, but the timeline and area matched perfectly.

Police stressed it is not being treated as suspicious, and a report will go to the Coroner – standard for any unexpected passing in WA.

Formal ID is underway, involving forensics to give absolute certainty. Until then, the family has asked for privacy as they grapple with unimaginable grief.

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The news rippled through Perth’s northern beaches and southern suburbs alike. Locals who’d joined the appeals expressed quiet sorrow online, while FIFO mates shared tributes to a young bloke taken too soon.

Western Australia sees its share of missing persons cases, especially along that endless coastline where city meets ocean. But this one hit different – a routine airport drop-off turning into every parent’s nightmare.

That cafe selfie, the wave goodbye, the taxi to the beach instead of the gate… ordinary moments now frozen in time.

As Christmas approaches, Jenny and the family face their first without Bill. Support services have swung into action, counselling offered, friends rallying round.

The Coroner will deliver official answers in due course – cause, circumstances, the full picture. For now, a community mourns a 25-year-old with his whole life ahead, cut short after one unexplained detour.

Police thanked everyone who shared appeals and came forward with tips during those ten long days. It’s the kind of public help that so often makes the difference in WA’s vast landscape.

Bill Carter’s story – from schoolboy to miner, holiday return to final beach walk – ends in sorrow, but it also spotlights the human cost behind the boom.

Rest in peace, Bill. Your mum’s selfie smile will live on in hearts across the state.