Gumleaf
April 15th, 2009, 12:33 AM
10:39 AEST Wed Apr 15 2009
A 15-year-old Brisbane boy with Asperger's syndrome who went missing for two weeks has been found in Sydney, after riding his bike more than 950km down the Pacific Highway.
Ethan Johnson of Kingston, south of Brisbane, was discovered at a train station at Merrylands in western Sydney by police on Good Friday.
Ethan slept at truck stops, under bridges and ate at fastfood restaurants during his six-day, dawn-to-dusk ride to Sydney.
His mother Tammy Johnson said they had to keep putting a little bit of money in his keycard account each day so that he could continue to eat, but not enough so that he could get further away.
Ethan decided to make the trek because he didn't get to see enough of the city during a school excursion when he was 12, Ms Johnson said.
He was last captured on closed circuit television about 9.20am (AEST) on March 30, leaving the Robina train station on the Gold Coast.
"Because we had the CCTV footage, we knew he was safe and the fact that he kept using his keycard as he went along we knew where to find him when he hit Sydney," she told AAP.
"We kept putting a little bit in his account each day so he could buy food but not too much so he couldn't get too far.
"We got him on the morning he took the last bit of money from his account."
Ms Johnson said when she was finally reunited with her son, she gave him a big cuddle and he started crying.
"However he's quite happy. He just didn't think to tell anyone he was going for a bike ride to Sydney," she said.
"He got a bit disappointed because he was found a bit quicker than he thought he would be. He didn't get too explore too far.
"He had ventured into the heart of the city but there were too many people so he left the city area - he doesn't like crowded areas."
Ethan told his mum it was good to be back home and he wouldn't do it again.
Asperger's syndrome is a autism-related disorder which inhibits a person's ability to socially interact.
© AAP 2009
A 15-year-old Brisbane boy with Asperger's syndrome who went missing for two weeks has been found in Sydney, after riding his bike more than 950km down the Pacific Highway.
Ethan Johnson of Kingston, south of Brisbane, was discovered at a train station at Merrylands in western Sydney by police on Good Friday.
Ethan slept at truck stops, under bridges and ate at fastfood restaurants during his six-day, dawn-to-dusk ride to Sydney.
His mother Tammy Johnson said they had to keep putting a little bit of money in his keycard account each day so that he could continue to eat, but not enough so that he could get further away.
Ethan decided to make the trek because he didn't get to see enough of the city during a school excursion when he was 12, Ms Johnson said.
He was last captured on closed circuit television about 9.20am (AEST) on March 30, leaving the Robina train station on the Gold Coast.
"Because we had the CCTV footage, we knew he was safe and the fact that he kept using his keycard as he went along we knew where to find him when he hit Sydney," she told AAP.
"We kept putting a little bit in his account each day so he could buy food but not too much so he couldn't get too far.
"We got him on the morning he took the last bit of money from his account."
Ms Johnson said when she was finally reunited with her son, she gave him a big cuddle and he started crying.
"However he's quite happy. He just didn't think to tell anyone he was going for a bike ride to Sydney," she said.
"He got a bit disappointed because he was found a bit quicker than he thought he would be. He didn't get too explore too far.
"He had ventured into the heart of the city but there were too many people so he left the city area - he doesn't like crowded areas."
Ethan told his mum it was good to be back home and he wouldn't do it again.
Asperger's syndrome is a autism-related disorder which inhibits a person's ability to socially interact.
© AAP 2009