Farmer who found lost German backpacker in Outback reveals moment she found the tourist who ‘slept in a cave to survive'
Tania French discovered a dishevelled Carolina Wilga, 26, on the side of a remote stretch of road 12 days after the German first vanished.
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Tania recalled the first interaction the pair shared after she noticed the woman waving her hands in the air as she stumbled across the road.
After pulling over, Tania comforted Carolina and gave her a big hug and told the woman about the desperate search efforts over her.
Tania told 7News: "I stopped. I went out and gave her a hug, I said, 'look, everyone has been looking for you.'
"She couldn't believe it. She didn't realise how long [she had been missing]."
Carolina then called the farmer from Wheatbelt, Western Australia, her "guardian angel".
Tania was picking up a truck from Beacon on Friday - about 186 miles northeast of Perth - when she first spotted Carolina.
The road she was travelling down is a rarely used route for locals and tourists with Tania saying her seeing the German was "meant to be".
"The chance of me going down that road and meeting up with her was incredible," the farmer said.
"It was meant to be, because no one goes up and down that road."
She added the backpacker looked noticeably thin but appeared in good health despite not being seen or heard from since June 29.
Police believed Carolina had become disoriented and walked into bushland after her van broke down in the Karroun Hill area in Western Australia's outback.
The region is said to be an unforgiving expanse, described by authorities as remote, rocky and inhospitable.
After spending a night trying to repair the vehicle, Carolina decided to go off and find help on her own.
With minimal food and water, the German backpacker followed the sun's position to head west.
The temperature in the area had dropped down to zero degrees at night and there was heavy rain.
At one point, she even reportedly sought refuge inside a cave and drank water from puddles to survive.
A Facebook page titled 'Help Find Carolina was launched to assist the search as WA Police issued an urgent nationwide appeal for information.
Cops managed to track her last known texts which were sent to a friend in the early hours of June 29.
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At 7am, Carolina reportedly said she wouldn't be able to drop off a book and a jerry can to her pal because she had 'some stuff she needed to handle'.
She was then spotted in the van at a local store in the tiny town of Beacon on June 29 at around 12.10pm.
She went missing the following day.
The van — equipped with solar panels and water — was later found on Thursday, but there was no sign of the missing woman.
Tania would be the first person to see Carolina after the ordeal as she informed police of her incredible discovery.
WA police's Martin Glynn told reporters on Friday that Carolina is now in good health and recovering.
He said: 'As you can imagine, from the trauma she suffered for the last few days, she's been obviously through a great deal.
'She does have some injuries. She's been ravaged by mosquitoes."
Carolina had been backpacking across Australia for two years and recently worked at mine sites in regional WA.
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an hour ago
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Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A GERMAN backpacker who spend nearly two weeks lost in the Australian outback has broken her silence following her rescue. Carolina Wilga thanked her rescuers as she revealed the reason she left the safety of her vehicle in rural Western Australia. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 9 Carolina Wilga has broken her silence following her dramatic rescue Credit: Western Australia Police Force 9 She revealed the reason she left the safety of her vehicle Credit: Facebook/@ExtremeCouponingAndBargainsUK 9 She was found alive and airlifted to hospital on Friday Credit: 7NEWS 9 The backpacker has been recovering in a Perth hospital after her gruelling ordeal stuck in the harsh terrain of the outback. She spent 11 nights wandering barefoot through the wilderness after abandoning her van when it got stuck in Karroun Hill Nature Reserve. The 26-year-old was found in a chance encounter by farmer Tania Henley on Friday. But the backpacker has now shared the reason why she left her van behind to spend nearly two weeks on a perilous trek through the outback. read more in world news EVIL KILLER Russia's most wanted serial killer, who 'murdered 100 women' could be dead Wilga revealed she had lost control of her vehicle and hit her head when it crashed, leaving her in a state of confusion. She said: "Some people might wonder why I even left my car, even though I had water, food, and clothing there. "The answer is: I lost control of the car and rolled down a slope. In the crash, I hit my head significantly. "As a result of the accident, I left my car in a state of confusion and got lost. "I am simply beyond grateful to have survived." Before her disappearance, Wilga was last seen June 29 at a general store in Beacon, 186 miles north-east of Perth. Missing backpacker found ALIVE after nearly two weeks wandering Oz bushland She was then seen driving away in a black and silver Mitsubishi Delica van. Having spent the last two years backpacking across Australia, she recently worked at mine sites in regional WA. Her chance rescue came when she was spotted walking along on an unsealed access road. Wilga had spent nearly two weeks with minimal supplies, even resorting to drinking water from puddles and seeking shelter in caves to survive the outback's unforgiving conditions. Cops had found her bogged down vehicle less than 24 hours before she was rescued. Wilga shared her thanks to her rescuers from "the depth of my soul". 9 She had not been heard from since Sunday, 29 June Credit: Western Australia Police Force 9 She was found in a chance encounter by farmer Tania Henley Credit: 7News She said: "I am deeply impressed by the courage, helpfulness, and warmth that has been shown to me here. "Western Australia has taught me what it really means to be part of a true community. "Here, humanity, solidarity, and care for one another are what truly matter — and in the end, that's what counts most. "I am certain that I survived only thanks to this incredible outpouring of support. "The thought of all the people who believed in me, searched for me, and kept hoping for me gave me the strength to carry on during my darkest moments. "For this, I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart." Bush survival expert Kelli Jackson told ABC Radio Perth that anyone caught in a similar situation should always stay with their vehicle. "It's no surprise that people leave their vehicle," she said. "If you've been through any emergency situation, a car accident or something like that, you might remember how things go in slow motion." She added that the shock people feel can make them do "really weird things" like throwing their gear away or running in a random direction. 9 Police issued a public appeal for help on July 10 in their search for the 26-year-old Credit: AFP 9 A road sign stands near Beacon, Western Australia, Friday, July 11, 2025, near where she was last seen before disappearing Credit: AP
The Sun
an hour ago
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Backpacker found alive after 12 days lost in Oz outback breaks silence to reveal dramatic reason she abandoned her car
A GERMAN backpacker who spend nearly two weeks lost in the Australian outback has broken her silence following her rescue. Carolina Wilga thanked her rescuers as she revealed the reason she left the safety of her vehicle in rural Western Australia. 9 9 9 9 The backpacker has been recovering in a Perth hospital after her gruelling ordeal stuck in the harsh terrain of the outback. She spent 11 nights wandering barefoot through the wilderness after abandoning her van when it got stuck in Karroun Hill Nature Reserve. The 26-year-old was found in a chance encounter by farmer Tania Henley on Friday. But the backpacker has now shared the reason why she left her van behind to spend nearly two weeks on a perilous trek through the outback. Wilga revealed she had lost control of her vehicle and hit her head when it crashed, leaving her in a state of confusion. She said: "Some people might wonder why I even left my car, even though I had water, food, and clothing there. "The answer is: I lost control of the car and rolled down a slope. In the crash, I hit my head significantly. "As a result of the accident, I left my car in a state of confusion and got lost. "I am simply beyond grateful to have survived." Before her disappearance, Wilga was last seen June 29 at a general store in Beacon, 186 miles north-east of Perth. Missing backpacker found ALIVE after nearly two weeks wandering Oz bushland She was then seen driving away in a black and silver Mitsubishi Delica van. Having spent the last two years backpacking across Australia, she recently worked at mine sites in regional WA. Her chance rescue came when she was spotted walking along on an unsealed access road. Wilga had spent nearly two weeks with minimal supplies, even resorting to drinking water from puddles and seeking shelter in caves to survive the outback's unforgiving conditions. Cops had found her bogged down vehicle less than 24 hours before she was rescued. Wilga shared her thanks to her rescuers from "the depth of my soul". 9 9 She said: "I am deeply impressed by the courage, helpfulness, and warmth that has been shown to me here. "Western Australia has taught me what it really means to be part of a true community. "Here, humanity, solidarity, and care for one another are what truly matter — and in the end, that's what counts most. "I am certain that I survived only thanks to this incredible outpouring of support. "The thought of all the people who believed in me, searched for me, and kept hoping for me gave me the strength to carry on during my darkest moments. "For this, I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart." Bush survival expert Kelli Jackson told ABC Radio Perth that anyone caught in a similar situation should always stay with their vehicle. "It's no surprise that people leave their vehicle," she said. "If you've been through any emergency situation, a car accident or something like that, you might remember how things go in slow motion." She added that the shock people feel can make them do "really weird things" like throwing their gear away or running in a random direction. 9 9 9
