William Walmsley has been found. Photo / RNZ, Wellington District Police
By RNZ
Missing Wellington 12-year-old William Walmsley has been found and taken home to his parents.
He was last seen in the central city about midnight on Saturday but last night made contact with a friend saying he was okay.
His father, Andrew Walmsley, said the police had found William on Tuesday and brought him home.
Walmsley said William was found in Lower Hutt about 4pm on Tuesday.
He said William started communicating with him and some friends via texting and calling. Through that, they were able to work out his rough location, allowing police to find him and pick him up.
He said William was physically unharmed, but his parents and the police were getting mixed messages from him - and others involved - about what had actually happened.
He said it had been a tough few days, especially knowing strangers were involved.
“The most important thing was getting him home safe, so we’re there now and we just have to work out what the next steps are.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Walmsley told RNZ that a friend had received a text from William on Monday, saying, “I’m at a friend’s house and I’m OK”.
Soon after, William made a short phone call. He said he had met other runaway kids in Wellington’s CBD and was now staying with one of their families.
“We weren’t really sure what that meant,” Andrew Walmsley said.
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