
Carolina Wilga: German backpacker ‘wheeled into hospital' after arriving back home
German newspaper BILD reported that the 26-year-old touched down at Düsseldorf Airport after a stop-over in Dubai on Sunday afternoon local time — a 20-hour journey from Perth.
Ms Wilga was assisted by medical personnel in business class during the plane journey.
After arriving at Düsseldorf, she was taken in a civilian ambulance to the Evangelical Hospital in Castrop-Rauxel.
She was met by a nurse who, with the assistance of bodyguards, helped Ms Wilga into a wheelchair. A man was seen carrying an orange trekking backpack towards Ms Wilga.
The backpacker, who survived nearly two weeks lost in the West Australian outback, farewelled Perth in a heartwarming Instagram post at the weekend.
'Reunion with the ocean and a great goodbye to Perth with loooots of hugs ❤️ love you all,' she captioned the since deleted post.
She shared several photos of her time in the hospital — at Cottesloe Beach with friends and last Monday's front page of The West Australian that featured her ordeal.
Ms Wilga was lost for 12 days by herself in the Wheatbelt in July, sparking a missing persons search that had the entire country on alert.
She had last been seen on June 29, travelling through Beacon, before she was found alive by a passing motorist on July 11.
Ms Wilga's bogged Misubishi Delica van was found by police just one day before her rescue.
After she met with police, the young traveller was flown to Perth and admitted to Fiona Stanley Hospital dehydrated, traumatised and 12kg lighter.
Ms Wilga was discharged on Wednesday after five days recovering in hospital.
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