Carolina Wilga: Young backpacker remains in hospital after surviving traumatic ordeal stranded in outback
The 26-year-old is in a stable condition at Fiona Stanley Hospital after her traumatic ordeal ended when she flagged down a passing motorist on Friday afternoon.
Police on Saturday said Ms Wilga became 'lost and disorientated' while exploring the Karroun Hill nature reserve.
When trying to look for her way out, she later lost control of her Mitsubishi van.
After spending just one day with her van, which became bogged and 'mechanically unsound' about 36km from any track, Ms Wilga braved the elements for 11 nights on foot.
She survived by drinking water from puddles, sleeping in a cave and eating the minimal food left in her van.
Across 11 days, the young tourist ventured 24km west from her vehicle by following the sun, before managing to flag down Tania French, a long-time Wheatbelt resident, as she was driving on Mouroubra Road around Bimbijy.
Ms Wilga was then taken under the arm of police — who sent extensive resources to the area — after she was located.
She was flown to Perth for medical treatment and was receiving ongoing care on Sunday, having spent two nights in hospital.
The 26-year-old was ravaged by mosquitoes, dehydrated, hungry, and sustained cuts and bruises before she was found.
Ms Wilga may spend several more days in hospital.
Grave fears were held for Ms Wilga, who had not contacted friends since June 29 — the same day, she was captured on CCTV driving through the Beacon townsite, about 330km north-east of Perth.
Detective Acting Inspector Jessica Securo, officer-in-charge of the homicide squad, said Ms Wilga had 'some open travel plans just to explore parts of WA and then further head north and towards the east coast' when she became lost.
'She is still in disbelief that she was able to survive,' she said.
'It's sheer luck (she was found).
'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 were going, it's very easy to get lost in that area.'
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The Advertiser
42 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
Rescued backpacker reveals why she abandoned her van
A German backpacker who spent 10 nights lost in the outback says she abandoned her bogged van in a state of confusion after hitting her head. Carolina Wilga was found on Friday afternoon by a motorist, after last being seen on June 29 in the Western Australian town of Beacon, about 300km northeast of Perth. The 26-year-old remains in hospital after suffering cuts, bruises, dehydration and fatigue during her near two-week ordeal in remote bushland, where overnight temperatures fell to almost zero. Ms Wilga has thanked her rescuers and explained why she left her Mitsubishi van which police found about 35km from a main track in a dense bush nature reserve. "Some people might wonder why I even left my car, even though I had water, food and clothing there," she said in a statement issued by WA Police on Monday. "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." Ms Wilga thanked the motorist who found her, describing the woman named Tania as a "rescuer and angel". She thanked police, the people who searched for her, the German Consulate and medical staff "who took care of me with so much compassion". "Western Australia has taught me what it really means to be part of a true community," she said. She believes she survived because of an "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," she said. "For this, I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart." Police previously said Ms Wilga spent just one night with her van after it got bogged in the Karroun Hill Nature Reserve bushland. She followed the sun and walked 24km west, thinking that would be her best bet of finding a road. She had minimal food and water and was in the elements for 11 nights. A German backpacker who spent 10 nights lost in the outback says she abandoned her bogged van in a state of confusion after hitting her head. Carolina Wilga was found on Friday afternoon by a motorist, after last being seen on June 29 in the Western Australian town of Beacon, about 300km northeast of Perth. The 26-year-old remains in hospital after suffering cuts, bruises, dehydration and fatigue during her near two-week ordeal in remote bushland, where overnight temperatures fell to almost zero. Ms Wilga has thanked her rescuers and explained why she left her Mitsubishi van which police found about 35km from a main track in a dense bush nature reserve. "Some people might wonder why I even left my car, even though I had water, food and clothing there," she said in a statement issued by WA Police on Monday. "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." Ms Wilga thanked the motorist who found her, describing the woman named Tania as a "rescuer and angel". She thanked police, the people who searched for her, the German Consulate and medical staff "who took care of me with so much compassion". "Western Australia has taught me what it really means to be part of a true community," she said. She believes she survived because of an "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," she said. "For this, I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart." Police previously said Ms Wilga spent just one night with her van after it got bogged in the Karroun Hill Nature Reserve bushland. She followed the sun and walked 24km west, thinking that would be her best bet of finding a road. She had minimal food and water and was in the elements for 11 nights. A German backpacker who spent 10 nights lost in the outback says she abandoned her bogged van in a state of confusion after hitting her head. Carolina Wilga was found on Friday afternoon by a motorist, after last being seen on June 29 in the Western Australian town of Beacon, about 300km northeast of Perth. The 26-year-old remains in hospital after suffering cuts, bruises, dehydration and fatigue during her near two-week ordeal in remote bushland, where overnight temperatures fell to almost zero. Ms Wilga has thanked her rescuers and explained why she left her Mitsubishi van which police found about 35km from a main track in a dense bush nature reserve. "Some people might wonder why I even left my car, even though I had water, food and clothing there," she said in a statement issued by WA Police on Monday. "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." Ms Wilga thanked the motorist who found her, describing the woman named Tania as a "rescuer and angel". She thanked police, the people who searched for her, the German Consulate and medical staff "who took care of me with so much compassion". "Western Australia has taught me what it really means to be part of a true community," she said. She believes she survived because of an "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," she said. "For this, I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart." Police previously said Ms Wilga spent just one night with her van after it got bogged in the Karroun Hill Nature Reserve bushland. She followed the sun and walked 24km west, thinking that would be her best bet of finding a road. She had minimal food and water and was in the elements for 11 nights. A German backpacker who spent 10 nights lost in the outback says she abandoned her bogged van in a state of confusion after hitting her head. Carolina Wilga was found on Friday afternoon by a motorist, after last being seen on June 29 in the Western Australian town of Beacon, about 300km northeast of Perth. The 26-year-old remains in hospital after suffering cuts, bruises, dehydration and fatigue during her near two-week ordeal in remote bushland, where overnight temperatures fell to almost zero. Ms Wilga has thanked her rescuers and explained why she left her Mitsubishi van which police found about 35km from a main track in a dense bush nature reserve. "Some people might wonder why I even left my car, even though I had water, food and clothing there," she said in a statement issued by WA Police on Monday. "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." Ms Wilga thanked the motorist who found her, describing the woman named Tania as a "rescuer and angel". She thanked police, the people who searched for her, the German Consulate and medical staff "who took care of me with so much compassion". "Western Australia has taught me what it really means to be part of a true community," she said. She believes she survived because of an "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," she said. "For this, I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart." Police previously said Ms Wilga spent just one night with her van after it got bogged in the Karroun Hill Nature Reserve bushland. She followed the sun and walked 24km west, thinking that would be her best bet of finding a road. She had minimal food and water and was in the elements for 11 nights.
SBS Australia
an hour ago
- SBS Australia
German backpacker Carolina Wilga thanks Australians for 'courage, helpfulness, and warmth'
Carolina Wilga had been lost in the bush for 11 days before her van was found abandoned in remote bush. She was found alive on Friday after 11 nights in the elements. She has issued a statement thanking everyone who thought of her and helped in the search. German backpacker Carolina Wilga has spoken for the first time about her experience being lost in the remote Australian outback for 12 days. The 26-year-old is still recovering in hospital after surviving 11 nights in the elements after her vehicle became bogged in a seldom-visited nature reserve in Western Australia's Wheatbelt region. In a statement released by WA Police, alongside a photograph of her sitting in a Perth hospital bed, Wilga expressed her gratitude for all the support she had received and provided some insight into what prompted her to leave her vehicle. Police launched a search for Wilga last week after family members reported she had not been heard from since late June. She was found by local farmer Tania Henley walking on an unsealed road on Friday. She had left a backpackers hostel in Fremantle on 28 June and police used CCTV to track her last known movements to the Wheatbelt region, about 300km from Perth. Carolina Wilga's van was found on Thursday. It had been abandoned in remote bushland 35km from the nearest track. Source: Supplied / Western Australia Police Force Police launched a more targeted search of Karroun Hill Nature Reserve after they found the van she had been travelling in bogged in bushland in the reserve, 35km off a main track. It was as searchers were preparing to wind up searching for the day on Friday that Wilga was found. "First and foremost, I want to express a huge thank you from the bottom of my heart — a thank you that truly comes from the depth of my soul! For all the incredible support during the search for me," she said on Monday. 'Deeply impressed' Wilga, who had been travelling throughout Australia for two years, said she previously had not known where her place "in a culture on the other side of the world" to her own was, "but now, I feel a part of it". She said she was "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." Caroline Wilga was found alive after being missing for 12 days and spending 11 nights alone in remote bushland. Source: AAP / ABC/PR IMAGE Wilga said while her experience had prompted dark moments, she said she believed she survived only thanks to an "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." Wilga explains why she left her vehicle She thanked everyone who thought of her as well as police, searchers, medical staff and the German Consulate and the woman who found her: "my rescuer and angel, Tania". Wilga acknowledged the curiosity around her decision to walk away from her vehicle. Survival experts and emergency services personnel in Australia often urge people to stay with their vehicle if they become lost in a remote area, however Wilga left her car, and spent 11 nights in bushland, walking 24km with minimal food and water. "Some people might wonder why I even left my car, even though I had water, food, and clothing there," she said in her statement. "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." Wilga escaped serious physical injury, coming away from the ordeal with cuts and bruises and suffering from dehydration and fatigue.
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
German backpacker breaks silence, reveals event that led to abandoning car in wilderness
A German backpacker who miraculously survived 12 days in the Outback has broken her silence after her story made headlines around the world. Carolina Wilga, 26, was found on a remote roadside on Friday, having spent 12 harrowing days in the Western Australian outback after her van became bogged in Karroun Hill and she abandoned the vehicle. Speaking for the first time on Monday afternoon, Ms Wilga explained the series of events that led to her getting stuck and abandoning her vehicle. 'Some people might wonder why I even left my car, even though I had water, food, and clothing there,' she wrote in a statement. '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.' She said she is 'beyond grateful to have survived' her ordeal. 'First and foremost, I want to express a huge thank you from the bottom of my heart – a thank you that truly comes from the depth of my soul. For all the incredible supports during the search for me,' she wrote. 'Previously, I didn't know where my place was in a culture on the other side of the world to my own, but now, I feel a part of it. '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.' She said she is '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,' she wrote. 'For this, I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. Especially to the police investigators, searchers, the German Consulate, the medical staff and the wonderful nurses who took care of me with so much compassion. 'My deepest thanks also go to every single person who simply thought of me – and of course, to my rescuer and angel, Tania. Thank you Australia – you are amazing.' Rookie mistake missing backpacker made Ms Wilga made a crucial error that could have cost her life when she abandoned her run-down van after getting bogged. Jed Currey, owner of Perth-based Explore WA 4WD Adventures, said the incident should serve as a lesson for Aussie authorities and other tourists. 'I think we do need to be more proactive with people who travel to the country,' Mr Currey said. 'Europeans are very adventurous but they probably don't understand our bespoke conditions here – population differences, the isolation factor, and the harshness of the country.' Mr Currey, who was running a tour about 100 kilometres north of the search area when Ms Wilga went missing, said tourists should be given three simple tips on arrival: let someone know where you're going to be, don't leave your vehicle if you get into trouble, and have a means of contacting people. 'Give them those core pieces of advice when they arrive – just an A4 flyer, that's all it would take.' He said it was possible to safely travel in the outback alone but 'you need to have a level of preparedness to do that'. As a bare minimum, he said lone travellers should carry a personal locator beacon, which would instantly alert searchers to their precise location in an emergency. Had Ms Wilga been carrying a beacon, 'they would have sent the answer plane up and they would've spotted her and directed authorities to her'. He said the backpacker should not have abandoned her vehicle but 'it's very easy to make irrational decisions in a high pressure situation like that'. 'You need to try and remain as composed as possible... The car's broken down but it's a resource. It offers shelter, and you could pull the mirror off and signal with the sun. 'People don't necessarily think in that situation what's available to them because of the panic factor. 'A car's much easier to find than a person when they get an aircraft up there. If she happened to light a fire with a spare tyre, she would've been found within hours.' Though Ms Wilga's ordeal could have been avoided, Mr Currey said her story was 'remarkable' and 'she's very strong to come through'. 'She's obviously got some smarts about her, because she knew the sun sets in the west.' After spending just one day with her Mitsubishi van, trying in vain to free it with MAXTRAX and pieces of wood, Ms Wilga had panicked and struck out on foot. She used the sun's position to head west and drank water from rain and puddles to survive. Ms Wilga survived subzero temperatures, at one point sheltering in a cave. Eventually a passing motorist came across the young woman limping along a remote roadside near Karroun Hill, about 24 kilometres from her abandoned car. When she was found, Ms Wilga was starving, dehydrated and mosquito-ravaged, and walking on just one shoe. She has since issued an update to the public through WA Police that she 'loves Australia' and intends to keep travelling the country. 'She had the weather for it – you can deal with the cold better than the heat,' Mr Currey said. 'Everything scratches you and scrapes you in that country there. It's very tough, so credit to her.'
