German backpacker Carolina Wilga survives 12 days lost in WA outback
Grim fears were held for the safety of Carolina Wilga after she disappeared on June 29, before her abandoned van was found 35km off-track in
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1News
21 hours ago
- 1News
German backpacker's Australian outback rescue 'sheer luck'
A German backpacker survived on minimal food and water for 11 nights in the rugged outback before finding a road and flagging down a motorist by "sheer luck". Carolina Wilga, 26, is recovering in hospital with cuts and bruises and suffering from dehydration and fatigue after a near two-week ordeal in the Western Australian wheatbelt. Wilga was found on Friday afternoon by a female motorist, after last being seen on June 29 at a general store in the town of Beacon about 300km northeast of Perth. Her disappearance triggered a massive search after a desperate plea from her mother amid concerns for her safety. Police have revealed Wilga spent just one night with her van after it got bogged in dense Karroun Hill Nature Reserve bushland, 35km off a main track. ADVERTISEMENT Carolina Wilga arriving back in Beacon and walking from a police vehicle onto a plane to be taken to Perth for medical treatment. She followed the sun and walked west, thinking that would be her best bet of finding a road. "She was essentially out in the wilderness for about 11 nights, which is significant," detective acting inspector Jessica Securo told reporters on Saturday. "[That] brings us back to how lucky she was that she was located safe and well, and how thankful we are that we managed to find her. "She is still in disbelief that she was able to survive. In her mind, she had convinced herself she was not going to be located." Wilga walked a total of 24km with "minimal food and water" before the chance encounter with Tania, who was driving past. ADVERTISEMENT "She was on the side of the road waving her hands. She was in a fragile state, but she was well. Thin but well," Tania told the ABC. "She'd been bitten by a lot of midgies. She said it was very, very cold." Temperatures dropped to zero at night in the region, while there was also heavy rain over several days. German backpacker Carolina Wilga. (Source: WA Police) Securo, who had spoken with Wilga, said the tourist had become very confused and disorientated and it was sheer luck she found the road. "The area out there ... it can be quite dangerous if you don't know what you're doing or where you are going," Securo said. Wilga has had a "good night's sleep", food and a shower since being found and had been left overwhelmed by the media attention. ADVERTISEMENT She could continue her stay in Australia and still has the east coast on her bucket list, Securo said. "It's still early days and obviously she's focusing on her recovery [but] I know she wants to work in Australia," she said. "She still has so much travel to do here. I think if she has the ability to stay, she definitely will." Police are still trying to figure out how the van got into trouble, but said it appeared Wilga lost control trying to find a track. Securo said in survival situations, people were always better off staying with their car. "It's far easier for an aerial search to locate a vehicle than it is a person," she said.
RNZ News
a day ago
- RNZ News
Carolina Wilga's outback rescuer describes her survival after 12 days in Western Australia as 'miracle'
German backpacker Carolina Wilga was last seen in the Western Australia town of Beacon on 30 June. Photo: Supplied The woman who found missing German backpacker Carolina Wilga by the side of an outback road has described her rescue as miraculous. Wilga was discovered on Friday afternoon, after spending 11 nights exposed to freezing temperatures in WA's Wheatbelt region. Prior to that, Wilga was last seen on 29 June at a general store in Beacon, 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. A red marker on a map where Carolina Wilga's broken down car was found. Photo: Supplied: Google Earth / ABC News Police said on Saturday morning 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 Wilga sought shelter at night where she could find it, including a cave. About 4.20pm on Friday, Wilga was able to flag down a passing motorist on Mouroubra Road, about 24km from her stranded van, ending her ordeal. Police said on Saturday morning Wilga, who was taken to Fiona Stanley Hospital, was exhausted, dehydrated, had been suffering from sunburn and had an injured foot. The motorist who found her, long-time local farming resident Tania Henley, told the ABC 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. "She was very relieved." Henley knew straight away it was 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," she 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." German backpacker Carolina Wilga was last seen in the Western Australia town of Beacon on 30 June. Photo: Supplied Henley 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." Henley said it could have been days before another person was travelling on the road where she found 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. Wilga spent 11 nights in the elements after leaving her bogged vehicle, a decision the German tourist told police she made in a "pure panic". "She's still in disbelief that she was able to survive," WA Police Acting Inspector Jessica Securo said. "In her mind she had convinced herself she was not going to be located. Eleven days out there is significant. "She got to a point where she thought no-one's coming." Inspector Securo said it was sheer luck Wilga was found. "Just a member of the community. Just happened to be driving by at the right time," she said. "My understanding is she [the rescuer] was quite overwhelmed herself. "It's not often you drive in such a remote area and you come across a situation like that." Inspector Securo said it was unlikely Wilga would be released from hospital today. "She still needs emotional support around her, and some of her injuries attended to," she said. - ABC
NZ Herald
2 days ago
- NZ Herald
German backpacker Carolina Wilga survives 12 days lost in WA outback
Police have revealed more details surrounding the miraculous survival of a German backpacker who spent almost two weeks missing in Western Australia's harsh outback wilderness. Grim fears were held for the safety of Carolina Wilga after she disappeared on June 29, before her abandoned van was found 35km off-track in
