Desperate Search for Missing FIFO Worker William Carter Enters Sixth Day After Shock Trigg Beach Sighting

Western Australia Police are intensifying their search for 25-year-old fly-in fly-out (FIFO) worker William Patrick Carter, who has been missing since Saturday, December 6, amid growing concerns for his welfare due to reported mental health challenges.

Known affectionately as Bill, Mr Carter was last seen near the Trigg Surf Life Saving Club on West Coast Drive around 2.40pm on the day he vanished. He was carrying a small backpack and wearing a black t-shirt, shorts, and white sneakers (described in some reports as black and white). He is Caucasian, approximately 174cm tall, of slim build, with brown hair and blue eyes.

The breakthrough revelation came on Wednesday when police confirmed Mr Carter did not board his scheduled flight to Karratha in the Pilbara region, where he worked at a mine site. Instead, after being dropped off at Perth Airport’s Terminal 3 by his mother around 12.40pm, he lingered at the airport for about an hour and a half before hailing a taxi around 2.10pm that took him directly to Trigg Beach, about 30 minutes away.

Mr Carter’s mother, Bunbury nurse Jenny O’Byrne, shared a heartbreaking account of their final moments together. The pair had enjoyed breakfast at the Dome Cafe in Kelmscott, where Ms O’Byrne captured a smiling selfie with her son at approximately 12.20pm – just 20 minutes before dropping him at the airport.

“That photo was taken just as we left the Dome cafe in Kelmscott,” Ms O’Byrne told PerthNow. “I said ‘come on lets take a selfie for your sister’ because she’d asked me whether I was with him, and that was about 12.20pm on Saturday.”

The image, widely circulated in appeals, shows a seemingly relaxed Bill posing with his mother, unaware it would become the last record of him before his disappearance.

Ms O’Byrne, a dedicated nurse with 39 years in the profession including 14 in Bunbury, described her son’s vanishing as “completely out of character”. She expressed grave fears for his mental health, noting he had been facing personal challenges that may have been overlooked due to his quiet nature.

“He’s a very quiet affable chap, he’s someone that everybody enjoys, he’s not loud and garish, he’s very quiet,” she said. “He’s been going through some challenges recently and because he’s so quiet in nature, some of those challenges have been missed because he’s not very talkative.”

The devoted mother revealed she had spoken openly with Bill about his concerns during their time together that morning, reassuring him of the family’s unwavering support.

“As a family we’re very supportive,” Ms O’Byrne continued. “I spoke to him a little bit on Saturday about what his concerns were, told him he has the full support of the family. We’re financially very solvent here and overseas, it’s just simply a case of when someone’s not well and they’re going through a situational crisis they don’t see the world as we would see it, they see it altered.”

“There are serious concerns for his outlook on life at the moment, so the police now are taking the missing persons concerns very seriously,” she added, pleading: “We just want to know he’s safe.”

Mr Carter had only a small 5L backpack with him, as most of his belongings remained at the mine site – standard for FIFO workers returning to a swing. He had recently returned from a family holiday overseas, visiting his father in Zambia with his sister.

Educated at Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School and later at Murdoch University, Bill pursued a career in the demanding FIFO lifestyle, working in the resource-rich Pilbara. The industry is known for its toll on mental health, with isolation, long shifts, and roster pressures often cited as contributing factors to worker distress.

Police have urged the public to remain vigilant, particularly along Perth’s northern beaches and coastal areas. Trigg Beach, a popular spot for surfing and walking, has been a focus of searches, but no further sightings have been reported.

WA Police have appealed for anyone who may have seen Mr Carter at the airport, in the taxi, or at Trigg Beach – especially near the surf club – to come forward immediately. Information can be reported to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or police on 131 444.

As the search enters its sixth day, Ms O’Byrne has called for greater awareness during the holiday season, noting Christmas can be a particularly lonely time. “Urge people to check in with loved ones,” she said.

The case has resonated widely, with social media appeals and community discussions highlighting the pressures faced by young FIFO workers. Authorities continue to treat the disappearance as a high-priority missing persons investigation, with welfare concerns at the forefront.

Anyone with information is urged to contact police without delay.