His body was found about 400 ft from those of two parents, both aged 19, and their three-year-old son on the remote Jarra Jarra Access Road, about 190 miles north of Alice Springs.
The family were travelling to Yarra Yarra when their car broke down, according to reports.
Relatives told police the 12-year-old was also travelling with the family when they left their home in Willowra on Monday.
An extensive land and air search of the Northern Territory's north-west was launched on Wednesday.
Southern Desert Division Superintendent Jody Nobbs said police are yet to rule out that there may have been more passengers in the vehicle, NT News reported.
“Although police have no information that suggests there were other passengers in the car, we will continue a precautionary land and air search until we are satisfied that all areas of interest have been sufficiently canvassed,” he said.
They are not believed to have died under suspicious circumstances while food and water was found at the scene.
Police were alerted to their deaths when a “distraught” man raised the alarm at an Aboriginal health clinic in Willowra at around 12.30pm local time on Wednesday.
Authorities were only able to reach the bodies today because of flooding and the remoteness of the area, which is located in the middle of the country.
While it was initially believed the family had died in a car crash that has now been ruled out by investigators.
Superintendent Shaun Gill told ABC: “One of the avenues we are looking at is that they have walked off from a vehicle in extreme weather and may have got caught out.
"Initially we thought it was the result of a car crash, however we are confident it's not."
He added that the two parents and their son may have passed away several days ago.
Gill said an “extreme weather event” may gave caused the deaths.
According to Australia's Bureau of Meteorology, temperatures in the region have exceeded 40C (104F) in recent days.
Superintendent Jody Nobbs said the man who raised the alarm will be “a critical part of the investigation.”
She added: “He is quite distraught about what he has found.”
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