Barefoot and looking “angelic”, William Callaghan was found after spending two freezing nights lost in the Victorian wilderness.

Up to 500 people were involved in the desperate search for the 14-year-old non-verbal autistic boy, which began after he vanished in bushland north of Melbourne while walking with his family on Monday afternoon.

Authorities played the Thomas the Tank Engine song and even asked locals to cook up William’s favourite foods, as fears grew after the missing teen had spend his second night in the bush on Mount Disappointment, 60 kilometres north of Melbourne.

Earlier, Will’s mother, Penny Callaghan, had fronted the media with a heartfelt plea for her “beautiful, beautiful” son to be found.

“Any parent, I’m sure would be thinking the worst-case scenario. I can’t do that at the moment. I’m really hoping that we find him today. I don’t want him out another night.

“I am not the praying type, but I’m praying now, because I want him home”.

Just hours later, he was found – just 1.5 kilometres from the search staging area and safe and well.

“He was just about 15 metres from me, just standing there, he was really angelic, just standing,” volunteer searcher Ben Gibbs said.

“He looked in reasonable health, he wasn’t shivering too bad. He didn’t have socks on so I put some socks on him and a jacket. I gave him some chocolate.”

Then Mr Gibbs carried the teenager back to the rescue base – and the waiting arms of his mother and stepfather, Nathan Ezard.

Jubilant searchers were urged to remain calm as Will was brought back – because shouts and cheers would frighten him. But, as left with Ms Callaghan and Mr Ezard in an ambulance within an hour, a huge cheer erupted across the search camp.

Will was taken to the Royal Children’s Hospital for a check-up. Registrar Dani Bersin said he was recovering well.

“He’s got a couple of abrasions on his feet and one or two on his face but other than that he is looking pretty good,” Dr Bersin said.

“We think he should be able to go home later this evening.”