EXCLUSIVE Sinister twist in the hunt for missing German backpacker, two weeks after she vanished without trace in the remote WA outback
Caroline Wilga, 26, who has spent two years backpacking around Australia working at mine sites and farms, was last seen with the van on CCTV at a service station in Toodyay, northeast of Perth, on June 28.
She made contact with friends the next day while travelling near Beacon, in WA's remote Wheatbelt region but then vanished without a trace.
The burnt-out van, stripped of licence plates, was spotted by local man Geoff Roberts in Gnaraloo, on the Ningaloo coast, around 11 hours from Ms Wilga's last known location.
Mr Roberts raised the alarm after seeing the call for information on the Western Australia Police Force Facebook page.
'Very similar vehicle to this one burnt out between Gnaraloo 3 Mile camp and the homestead. Plates have been removed,' he posted on social media, tagging in WA Police.
Police are yet to confirm the link to the missing backpacker, but its discovery has deepened fears for Ms Wilga, who has not been seen or heard from in 12 days.
She was believed to be travelling in the black and silver 1995 Mitsubishi Delica van with WA licence plates 1HDS330 and a distinctive rooftop tent.
Police are yet to confirm the find, but the sinister claim has only deepened fears for the young woman, who has not been seen or heard from in 12 days.
Her phone has since been switched off, and investigators say all contact stopped suddenly.
Homicide detectives have now joined the case, though police say it is not officially a murder investigation 'at this point.'
'We are very concerned for her welfare,' WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch told reporters.
'They are investigating - not that it's a homicide at this point, but we want our very best capabilities to investigate something that is very concerning to us.'
The WA Police air wing has also been deployed, with land and aerial searches underway across the vast outback region.
Caroline is described as having a slim build, long frizzy dark blonde hair, brown eyes, and several tattoos, including on her left arm.
Wilga has not been seen or heard from since her last contact with friends in Beacon.
Before she was last seen, Ms Wilga would also routinely contact her family.
Police say she was believed to be travelling in a black and silver 1995 Mitsubishi Delica van with WA licence plates 1HDS330 (pictured) and a distinctive rooftop tent
They last heard from her on June 18.
The family hold concerns for her welfare due to the lack of 'regular communication'.
Her devastated mother, Katja from Castrop-Rauxel near Dortmund, appealed to the public for help in response to a post shared on social media.
'I'm her mother and need her help, as I can't do much from Germany,' she commented on a social media post.
'Carolina is still sorely missed. If anyone has any information, please contact the police. Please keep your eyes open!'
Police are urging anyone with information or dashcam footage from the Beacon area or northeast Wheatbelt between June 29 and July 4 to come forward.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
37 minutes ago
- The Independent
Lost in the Australian wilderness for 11 days: How a German backpacker survived the outback
Exhausted, dehydrated and disorientated, Carolina Wilga was certain she wasn't going to be found alive after spending 11 nights lost in the remote Australian outback. With no idea where she was heading and very alone having abandoned her van to try and find help, she focused on the one navigational guide she knew - walking west by following the sun. She knew time was running out as she trekked through one of the most sparsely populated and remote places in the world. However, through incredible luck, she managed to survive, finding a road where she was spotted by a local and delivered to safety. It's a rare tale of survival for someone who was missing for so long in difficult terrain. Western Australia acting Det Insp Jessica Securo said it was an 'incredible result', after a multi-day search of the vast bushland about 200 miles northeast of Perth involving homicide police, planes and helicopters, as well as local residents. 'It's sheer luck. The area out there, there's mixed terrain. It can be quite dangerous if you don't know what you're doing or where you are going. It's very easy to get lost in that area,' Det Insp Securo said. 'She's essentially out in the wilderness for about 11 nights, which is significant, and just 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.' The 26-year-old German backpacker had been living in Western Australia (WA) for two years, and was heading on a trip towards the country's east with no concrete plans beyond exploring new places, police said. She drove through the town of Beacon, on the edge of WA's Wheatbelt region, stopping at a general store for some supplies. Driving into the vast Karroun Hill nature reserve, her Mitsubishi Delica got bogged in wet sand about 35 km from the nearest road. Ms Wilga tried to get it out, using the van's recovery boards and planks of wood, but nothing appeared to work. She spent a night with the vehicle, but without phone reception, she decided to try to search for help and quickly became lost. After that, she decided to follow the sun, walking west to try to find any sign of other human life. Western Australia is vast. The largest Australian state, covering more than 2.5 million sq km, it's more than half of the area of the European Union. It is also sparsely populated: more than two-thirds of the state's 3 million residents live in the capital of Perth, and much of the state is farmland, mining, or nature. Ms Wilga faced bad weather - nights got extremely cold, police said, and without her vehicle she was totally exposed to the elements. It also rained heavily for a couple of days. However, Det Insp Securo said it was good that it was not too hot - temperatures in the state can exceed 40 degrees Celsius in summer. Rescuers had held grave fears for Ms Wilga's survival after so long in the wilderness. The German backpacker is the second person to have gone missing in the area in the last 12 months. Barry Podmore, 73, has been missing since December after going gold prospecting at Karroun Hill, according to the ABC. His vehicle was found abandoned about 40km north of Beacon by police in May, but no trace of the man has been found. Det Insp Securo said people who live in WA know it is a vast and at times dangerous place. 'It can be quite challenging to survive in those areas if you don't know where you're going or what you're doing,' she said. 'So all we can advise people to do is invest in things like personal locator beacons, where you may be able to raise emergency services if you come into trouble, trouble you know, share your travel plans with your loved ones. Plan your destinations and then make contact with those persons when you arrive in one.' Her other tip for people who run into trouble like Ms Wilga is for people to stay with their vehicle. 'It's far easier for an aerial search to locate a vehicle than it is a person,' she said. Ms Wilga's vehicle was found first, a day before she was spotted on the road by a local just 24 km from her abandoned van. 'She was very traumatised and just overwhelmed to be able to found someone that could help her,' said the detective inspector, who spoke to Ms Wilga in hospital on Saturday morning. 'Look, she's good. She's very fatigued. She's had a good night's sleep, she's had a shower. We've got her some food, which was a massive relief for her. So she's just taken it one day at a time at the moment.' Receiving treatment for her minor injuries, including many mosquito bites, as well as emotional support, Ms Wilga remains in hospital and has been in contact with her family in Germany. But despite remaining overwhelmed by her ordeal, det insp Securo said the backpacker has no plans at the moment to leave Australia. 'Carolina has told me that she loves Australia. She still has so much travel to do here. She hasn't made it over to the East Coast yet, so that's still on her bucket list. So I think if she has the ability to stay, she definitely will.'
The Guardian
7 hours ago
- The Guardian
‘Sheer luck': how German backpacker Carolina Wilga was found after 11 nights lost in dense Australian outback
German backpacker Carolina Wilga spent 11 freezing nights lost in the Australian outback, convinced she would never be found. By 'sheer luck' the confused and disoriented 26-year-old came across a road, where she flagged down a woman in a passing car on Friday afternoon. An 'exhausted, dehydrated and hungry' Wilga has spoken to her family, had a good night's sleep, a shower and some food, WA police Acting Det Insp Jessica Securo said on Saturday. 'This is the best result we could have hoped for,' she said. 'We're incredibly grateful that she's been found safe, and obviously this is a huge relief for her family and all of her loved ones. 'We never gave up hope that Carolina would be found safe and well … the support of our WA community is our greatest asset, particularly in a state as vast as ours. 'It's sheer luck. The area out there is mixed terrain. It can be quite dangerous if you don't know what you're doing or where you're going, and it's very easy to get lost.' WA Police confirmed on Friday night that Wilga had been found 'safe and well'. She had been 'ravaged' by mosquitoes, was dehydrated, exhausted, starving and had minor injuries including cuts and bruises, and was airlifted to a Perth hospital. The temperature in the area had dropped down to 0C at night and there was heavy rain. On 29 June, Wilga had visited a shop in Beacon, a small town about 300km northeast of Perth. Her family and friends had not heard from her since, and raised the alarm. Police and volunteers started searching the remote wheatbelt area and beyond. Wilga's Mitsubishi van was found bogged and abandoned in Karroun Hill, about 150km from Beacon, on Thursday. Securo said Wilga had 'somewhat lost control of the vehicle', which had then become 'mechanically unsound and bogged'. She had stayed with the car for just a day before panicking and striking out to find help, Securo said, and had used the sun's position to head west. She had minimal food and water. 'She is still in disbelief that she was able to survive,' Securo said. 'In her mind, she had convinced herself that she was not going to be located … I'm sure she got to a point where she thought no one was coming.' Wilga was found about 24km from her car. Securo said Wilga was 'very traumatised' and 'just overwhelmed' to have been found, and that the woman who found her was 'quite overwhelmed herself'. 'We are extremely thankful for her stopping and giving Carolina assistance,' she said. Wilga had planned to explore WA then head north and towards the east coast, Securo said, and still plans to travel Australia, with the east coast 'on her bucket list'. 'As you can imagine, from the trauma she suffered for the last few days, she's been obviously through a great deal,' WA police's Insp Martin Glynn said on Friday. 'She does have some injuries. She's been ravaged by mosquitoes. She's obviously been through an amazing journey, a trauma, no doubt … [and] a testimony to demonstrating her bravery in those circumstances. 'There's a very hostile environment out there, both from flora and fauna. It's a really, really challenging environment.' WA premier Roger Cook said he was 'incredibly relieved' that she had been found alive. 'This news is nothing short of remarkable,' he wrote on Facebook. 'We're yet to have the full picture of what happened, but … we can all breathe a little easier knowing Carolina is safe and well.'
Daily Mail
11 hours ago
- Daily Mail
How the relieved friends of rescued backpacker Carolina Wilga plan to celebrate her miraculous return
The relieved friends of rescued German backpacker Carolina Wilga plan to hear her miraculous story of survival in the 'hostile' Australian outback over a pub feed. The 26-year-old was found alive and well on Friday afternoon, 12 days after she vanished in Western Australia 's Wheatbelt region. She had last been seen on CCTV on June 29 inside a general store in Beacon, a small town about 300km northeast of Perth. At 1.10pm on Thursday, WA Police discovered Ms Wilga's Mitsubishi Delica van abandoned in the Karroun Hill area, about 100km north of where she was last seen. One day later, a member of the public found her limping along a bush track near where her van was found the day before and raised the alarm. Ms Wilga, who suffered minor injuries and was 'ravaged by mosquitoes', was filmed approaching a plane that airlifted her to Royal Perth Hospital. She appeared to be walking with a limp and was only wearing one shoe. Five of Ms Wilga's friends were waiting for her outside the hospital just before 7pm on Friday. They told reporters they planned to take her out for a pub feed. 'We just heard from the news that she was found and alive, which had everyone excited,' friend and fellow traveller Miranda told the West Australian. She said Ms Wilga's parents 'couldn't believe' their daughter had been found. 'They almost couldn't believe it, but yeah, they were just overwhelmed with happiness,' she said. Friend Jules Briand said he was keen to hear Ms Wilga's incredible story of survival. 'I can't wait to hug her and tell her that she got us worried ... and have good food and drink with her,' he said. WA Police Inspector Martin Glynn told reporters it was sure to be a 'remarkable' story. 'As you can imagine from the trauma she's suffered for the last few days, she's been obviously through a great deal,' Insp Glynn said. 'She's obviously in quite a fragile condition at the moment. 'She's coped in some amazing conditions. (It's a) very hostile environment out there.' Timeline of backpacker's disappearance June 28 Ms Wilga's friend saw her leave the Sundance Backpackers hostel in Fremantle on June 28. Her friend Denise Kullick told German media Ms Wilga had planned to travel with a friend to a seaside location to become a yoga teacher - but ended up setting off alone. Another friend, in Australia, was also in contact with Ms Wilga twice on the same day, the first was a text message at 7am. In the message, Ms Wilga explained she would not be able to drop off a book and a jerry can as she had 'some stuff she needed to handle'. CCTV footage captured Ms Wilga driving into a petrol station at 4.28pm on Stirling Terrace in Toodyay - about 90km northeast of Perth. Ms Wilga parked, exited her van and filled it with petrol before heading inside the service station to pay. At 4.38pm, the friend received a voice message from Ms Wilga in which she was heard saying: 'I just couldn't wait anymore. Ugh. I felt tired'. Shortly after, at 4.41pm, Ms Wilga left the petrol station. Police believed Ms Wilga departed Toodyay and embarked on the 230km journey northeast, stopping at Dowerin, on the way to Beacon. June 29 - Ms Wilga is last seen Ms Wilga was last seen on CCTV footage taken from a general store in Beacon, about 300km northeast of Perth in the Wheatbelt region, at 12.10pm on June 29. She was spotted wearing ripped blue baggy jeans, a cream long-sleeve jumper and a similar coloured scarf. The young backpacker was captured peering into the store and walking around the property. About five minutes later, she got back into her van and left. Police believed she travelled to Wialki, a further 25km east of Beacon. June 30 to July 9 - Ms Wilga makes no contact From June 30, friends and family were not able to contact Ms Wilga, nor were there any sightings of the young traveller. Police issued a missing person alert on July 7, with details of her disappearance and an appeal for information or sightings of Ms Wilga. On July 9, Western Australia Police Commissioner Col Blanch told media police were 'very concerned' for Ms Wilga's welfare. Detectives from the homicide squad were also called in to help find the missing backpacker. Commissioner Blanch added her disappearance was not being treated as a murder 'at this point'. 'They are investigating, not that it's a homicide at this point, but we want our very best capabilities to investigate something that is very concerning to us,' Commissioner Blanch said. It was believed her phone had been switched off, police said. The police air wing also joined the 'very large search and rescue' operation, with officers scouring the immense Wheatbelt region for clues to her whereabouts. July 10 - Ms Wilga's van is found Police located Ms Wilga's black and silver 1995 Mitsubishi Delica van in Karroun Hill at 1.10pm on Thursday. The van was found abandoned, more than 50km north of Wialki, with police believing the vehicle had suffered mechanical issues. Police said she may have wandered into the outback after her van broke down in Karroun Hill and ruled out foul play. She was found on Friday afternoon by a member of the public walking along a bush track. Ms Wilga was airlifted to Royal Perth Hospital. In footage of her boarding the plane she appeared to walk with a limp.
