Carolina Wilga's outback rescuer describes her survival after 12 days in Wheatbelt as 'miracle'
Ms Wilga was discovered on Friday afternoon, after spending 11 nights exposed to freezing temperatures in WA's Wheatbelt region.
Prior to that, Ms Wilga was last seen on June 29 at a general store in Beacon in WA's Wheatbelt, three-and-a-half hours drive north-east of Perth.
Police discovered her abandoned vehicle deep in a nature reserve 36 kilometres north of the town on Thursday afternoon and conducted a large-scale aerial search.
Police said on Saturday morning Ms Wilga became disoriented while travelling inland before losing control of her car and becoming bogged.
She was able to survive on the minimal food she had, and found water from rain and puddles.
Police said Ms Wilga sought shelter at night where she could find it, including a cave.
About 4:20pm on Friday, Ms Wilga was able to flag down a passing motorist on Maroubra Road, about 24 kilometres from her stranded van, ending her ordeal.
Police said on Saturday morning Ms Wilga had been exhausted, dehydrated, had been suffering from sunburn and had an injured foot.
The motorist who found her, long-time local farming resident Tania, told the ABC Ms Wilga was very relieved to be picked up.
"I was coming back from Beacon because I'd been down to pick up my trailer," she said.
"She was on the side of the road waving her hands.
"She was probably about 40 kilometres from my homestead.
Tania knew straight away it was Ms Wilga, after intensifying media coverage in recent days of the 26-year-old's plight.
"Obviously, there is nobody who comes up my way walking around," Tania said.
"She was in a fragile state, but she was well. Thin, but well.
"She'd been bitten by a lot of midgies.
"She said it was very, very cold."
Tania, who did not want her surname to be used, said the rescue was a "miracle".
"Twelve days. I was thinking the worst," she said.
"Every day would be a challenge in this weather.
"Everything in this bush is very prickly. I just can't believe that she survived. She had no shoes on, she'd wrapped her foot up.
"She's a very resilient person."
Tania said it could have been days before another person was travelling on the road where she found Ms Wilga.
"Miracle is a word that gets bandied about a lot, but to survive 12 days and cross-country — she went cross country to come to my road," she said.
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