Find My Son

With the clock ticking, three fathers join forces to search for a young driver feared lost in the Australian bush

- Helen Signy

Sam Lethbridge squinted through the smudged windscreen of his white SUV as a light drizzle fell. The [then] 17-year-old had spent the night with his mates in Wyoming on the Central Coast of Australia and was now making the 40-minute drive to his home in Lake Macquarie.

It was 4:30 a.m. Life was good. Sam had passed his driving test in October 2017 and had owned his own car for four months, a small Hyundai ix35. And on Friday he’d just signed up to a new electrical and air conditioning apprenticeship. After celebrating with friends, he was heading home along the familiar road towards bed.

A keen boxer, soccer player and gym-goer, Sam was extremely fit. He never drank alcohol or took drugs. As he drove along the dark highway, he took a swig from the large bottle of water he always carried to stay hydrated— good habits that were to save his life.

Sam’s parents, Tony and Leigh, were away for a weekend in Canberra, the first time they’d left their three children unattended. Sam’s older siblings Luke, 22, and Megan, 20, were at home, and Sam, always reliable and responsible, had let them know his plans for the evening. He’d also texted his girlfriend during the evening: See you tomorrow at 12.

He was nearing home, just 10 more minutes to go. Thick trees lined the road and there were no other cars in sight. Sam was getting really tired now. He slowed down as he entered an 80 kph zone, his bright headlights cutting through the blackness of the meandering road as he struggled to keep his eyes open. Then, still travelling at speed, sleep overcame him. He veered off the side of the road, sideswiping a large concrete pole that ripped off the driver’s door before plunging down the embankment. The airbags exploded as the car spun around, rolled twice, finally coming to a rest, right side up, 20 metres below the road.