Finding yourself lost in the bush must be terrifying. A frantic sense of bewilderment must be debilitating.

"This is ridiculous!" I would say. "How stupid can I be!" I would chastise myself.

There is an inclination to walk downhill when lost in the bush. After all, there are creeks and rivers down there that should be helpful...

Utilising the natural incline of the terrain to walk the path of least resistance, the lost head downhill crunching through fallen tree limbs and sticks and bark and leaf litter with momentum guiding their path.

But then they must stop and think. Perhaps they should have stopped and thought before.

Last week, a non-verbal 14-year old living with Autism Spectrum Disorder became lost on the ironically named Mount Disappointment for two nights and three days, which must have been excruciating for all concerned.

Mount Disappointment is part of the Great Dividing Range some 80 kilometres north of Melbourne, standing 800 metres above sea level, and popular for forest walks.

Fortunately, after an extensive search, William Callaghan was found.

During the three-day search, nearby residents were asked to light their barbecues and play Thomas the Tank Engine to attract him, while rescue teams sang the Thomas the Tank Engine theme song, his "happy music".

There are several tips that can be quickly found with a Google search if lost in the bush including staying put, being aware of the forecast conditions, looking for landmarks, and establishing a shelter should you need to camp the night.

That would be easy if you were experienced, well-prepared, and clear of thought.

However, on many occasions, those lost are not experienced nor well-prepared nor clear of thought.

They are everyday punters who fancy a walk in the bush.

For many parents, the search for William Callaghan demanded our attention. For parents of children living with Autism Spectrum Disorder, some could neither stop watching nor start watching.

A close friend offered, "It's a story that I followed but didn't follow. To be honest that sort of thing distresses me. I can see how easily something like that would happen, along with how challenging it would be to find the child", he said.

Unfortunately, we are quick to judge no matter the circumstances when locals and visitors alike require life-saving intervention.

Some fair-weather commentators took the slippery slope to social media and unhelpfully questioned why a loving parent would take an autistic teenager into the forest for a bushwalk.

Well, why not?

Did they believe William Callaghan's parents didn't know he was living with autism?

Did they think his dad wouldn't have known the potential dangers they would face on a bushwalk?

Did they not empathise that while so many days must be tough for William Callaghan's family, a slice of normality in the forest on a bushwalk offered an opportunity to look forward with excitement?

Tasmanians are fortunate to be surrounded by reserves, more than 50 per cent of our landmass, but we are not immune from regular reports of search and recovery, and tragedy. Westpac Rescue Helicopter Tasmania, which was also used to check our location over Easter, is employed to perform heroic retrievals often from stranded yachts or horrific highway crashes.

And as we headed back to the shack or camping for the Queen's Birthday long weekend, the rescue chopper was in high demand.

The helicopter team rescued a 33-year-old man who lost connectivity with Google maps and became disoriented on trails near Queenstown.

A 75-year-old man required the support of the rescue chopper after a quad bike rollover, but they couldn't reach him due to thick bush.

A rescue team mobilised to search for four walkers at Leven Canyon who emerged unscathed before needing to be saved.

Westpac Rescue Helicopter Tasmania evacuated a 64-year-old woman with a likely broken leg at Mount Direction Conservation Area near Hobart before rescuing a 63-year-old woman with a broken leg from the Conningham Nature Recreation Area also near Hobart.

If we had a dollar for every person who said that those rescued "should pay for the helicopter", Tasmania would be rich in monetary terms.

When leaving Tasmanian shores via an aerial route, the vastness of the reserve areas is plain to see, intersected by a plethora of forestry roads. With landmarks scattered throughout, it is difficult to imagine becoming lost. Alas, that opinion is offered after a birds-eye view.

A volunteer found William Callaghan and chatted to him about Diesel. William Callaghan delightfully requested McDonald's.

Five hundred people joined the search. We expect no less. That is who we are, and it was heroic.

For all the heartache and worry, this was a joyous outcome.

Try to help those who are lost. It doesn't always work out. It doesn't always result in a positive outcome. But we will regret not trying.

Whoever you are - don't be a fair-weather friend. Don't be a fair-weather friend no matter the climate of life. Not that I need remind most Australians.

Feeling just momentarily lost is frightening enough.