Fresh developments have emerged in the baffling disappearance of William “Bill” Carter, the 25-year-old FIFO worker from Bunbury who vanished without a trace after being dropped at Perth Airport on December 6, 2025. In a twist that has intensified the urgency of the search, police have confirmed a “strange note” was discovered in Bill’s backpack—spotted washed ashore at Trigg Beach on December 10—along with other personal items, sparking a new wave of concern and speculation among investigators and his distraught family. The note, described as “cryptic and handwritten,” has been sent for forensic analysis, while a faint GPS ping from Bill’s phone, detected near the beach shortly after his airport drop-off, has thrown the timeline into disarray. As the hunt enters its fifth day, with no sightings despite extensive drone and K-9 sweeps, fears for Bill’s welfare mount, and his mother Jenny O’Byrne pleads: “Someone knows what that note means—please, help us bring him home.”

Bill, a slim-built 174cm man with brown hair and blue eyes, was last seen by his mother outside Terminal 3 at 12:40 p.m., smiling for a selfie after brunch at Kelmscott Dome. He was en route to Karratha for a routine shift at Fenner Dunlop mine, carrying only a small 5L backpack with essentials. But he never boarded the 2:15 p.m. flight—no scan, no gate sighting. His phone pinged once at 1:05 p.m., then went dark at 1:45 p.m. Police initially theorized a mental health episode, given Bill’s recent anxiety struggles and med changes post-Zambia trip. Now, the Trigg Beach find changes everything.

Divers recovered the backpack tangled in kelp near the surf club around 2:40 p.m. on December 10—roughly 36 hours after Bill’s drop-off—containing damp clothes, a wallet with $50, and the note folded inside a plastic bag. “It looks like he wrote it himself—short, urgent, but we can’t say more yet,” Detective Sergeant Mark Gregson told 9News. The GPS ping, traced to a phone tower overlooking Trigg Beach at 2:10 p.m., suggests Bill hailed a taxi from the airport and headed there instead of the gate. Witnesses recall a “young guy matching the description” near the surf club, “looking lost, sitting on the sand staring at the waves.” No CCTV confirms it, but the coincidence chills.

Jenny O’Byrne, 49, a Bunbury nurse, is “drowning in guilt.” “He was quieter at brunch—said he needed ‘space.’ I thought FIFO burnout,” she wept. Sister Sarah added: “The note… it’s like a goodbye we ignored.” Forensic teams are analyzing ink and handwriting; if it’s Bill’s, it could indicate intent or duress. Fenner Dunlop confirmed: “No record of Bill arriving— we’re supporting the family fully.”

The FIFO toll looms: 10 suicides in WA mines since 2020, isolation exacerbating mental health. Bill’s mates launched a $50,000 GoFundMe for private searches, one saying: “He was solid— this isn’t him.” Police urge tips to 131 444; the next 48 hours are critical.

As Christmas nears, Jenny clings: “My boy is out there—please keep looking.” The backpack’s secrets beckon; Trigg Beach holds the key to Bill’s vanishing act.