German tourist describes 12-day ordeal, lost in Australian wilderness
In her first public statement since being found alive on Friday, 26-year-old Carolina Wilga said she 'hit her head significantly' when she crashed her car and became lost after abandoning it in 'a state of confusion.'
Wilga was found alive on Friday afternoon, nearly two weeks after she disappeared in the bushland.
According to the Associated Press, the crew of a police helicopter spotted her vehicle Thursday in wilderness in the Karroun Hill Nature Reserve, 36 kilometers (22 miles) north of the town of Beacon.
'Some people might wonder why I even left my car, even though I had water, food, and clothing there,' she wrote in a statement released by Western Australia Police Force 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.'
Wilga's message, shared by Western Australia Police Force on Facebook, expressed thanks to those who searched for her, as well as to medical staff and the German consulate.
'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,' she said.
'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.'
According to AP, Western Australia Police Force Inspector Martin Glynn said a member of the public found her wandering on a forest trail late Friday.
She was in a 'fragile' state but had no serious injuries and was flown to a hospital in Perth for treatment, Glynn told reporters.
'You know, she's obviously coped in some amazing conditions,' he said. 'There's a very hostile environment out there, both from flora and fauna. It's a really, really challenging environment to cope in.'
The reserve where Wilga was lost covers more than 300,000 hectares (740,000 acres), according to AP.
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CNN
3 hours ago
- CNN
An investigation is underway after a fire engulfed a Massachusetts assisted-living facility, killing 9 people. Here's what we know
Calls to 911 reporting a fire at an assisted-living facility in Fall River, Massachusetts, began coming in shortly after 9:30 p.m. Sunday, marking the start of a prolonged emergency response to rescue the roughly 70 people who lived there, many of whom were wheelchair-bound or dependent on oxygen tanks. Despite the efforts of scores of firefighters – nearly half of whom were off duty at the time – and 'every police officer in the city,' nine Gabriel House residents died in the fire, according to officials. Those killed range in age from 61 to 86. Dozens of others were injured, one critically. Residents described being blinded by smoke as they tried to escape the three-story building. Some hung out of windows, begging to be rescued, Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon said. Authorities, including the Massachusetts State Police, are investigating what started the fire, but the cause 'does not appear to be suspicious at this time,' the district attorney said in Monday afternoon. The owner of Gabriel House has promised to fully cooperate with investigators. 'It's a tragedy, no matter how it happened or what started it,' Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan told CNN. Here's what we know about the fire as the investigation continues: Many Gabriel House residents – unable to walk or reliant on oxygen tanks – were trapped as smoke filled the hallways. Loraine Ferrara told CNN affiliate WCVB she was rescued through her bathroom window. 'I thought I was dead … I couldn't breathe. I thought I was going to meet my maker.' Al Manza said he got a face full of smoke when he opened his door. 'All that I could do was just stand there and choke,' Manza told WCVB, noting he couldn't even see the hand of the firefighter who led him to safety through the dense smoke. Firefighters broke windows and evacuated residents on ladders. In some cases, air conditioning units had to be pushed out of windows to pull people to safety, according to the firefighers' union president. Many residents were unconscious or trapped and unable to escape on their own. One woman whose father lived at Gabriel House desperately tried to guide him to safety while they were on the phone. 'He was on the floor talking to me, and I am crying, telling him, 'Break the window. Try to break it,' because he is so weak, and he couldn't break it,' she told WCVB. Her father was rescued after she was able to direct firefighters to his location. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healy emphasized the unique challenges of rescuing the assisted-living residents after visiting the scene, saying, 'All of these people needed assistance.' 'Many were in wheelchairs. Many were immobile. Many had oxygen tanks. They were severely compromised,' the governor said. Firefighters and police sped to the scene of the fire after the assisted-living facility's automatic alarm system triggered an emergency call. Still, first responders pleaded for additional help rescuing residents, many of whom were unconscious or unable to walk, according to Broadcastify audio from Sunday night. At the response's peak, about 65 firefighters were on the scene – nearly half of whom rushed to help even though they were off duty. 'Every police officer in the city' also rushed to the scene, the fire chief said. 'Everybody was rescuing people.' 'When I got here, what I saw was everyone overwhelmed,' said Michael O'Regan, one of the off-duty firefighters who responded and the president of the Fall River firefighters' union. Rushing to the fire meant going without breathing equipment for some of the off-duty responders, O'Regan said. 'I didn't have time to go get the stuff, and we didn't have any extra stuff, so we did what we had to do.' Frank O'Regan, Michael's brother and fellow firefighter, said he was horrified when he arrived 40 minutes into the response to find residents still trapped on Gabriel House's third floor. 'I couldn't believe that after all this time, there was still a full area with people trapped,' he said, calling it one of the events with the 'worst loss of life' he's seen in his career, he said. Understaffing of the Fall River Fire Department limited the response to Sunday's fire, according to Edward Kelly, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters. National standards call for four firefighters per company, but only two of Fall River's 10 companies meet that, he said, noting eight more firefighters could have been available if the standard was met. Bacon, the fire chief, acknowledged the shortfall and said that particular standard hasn't been met in the city since the 1980s or 90s. Gabriel House, founded in 1999, housed around 70 residents at the time of the fire, according to the Department of Fire Services. Two staff members were working overnight Sunday, Bacon said. The facility was set for recertification and a compliance review in November, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services told CNN. Massachusetts' Executive Office of Aging & Independence, the state agency responsible for certifying assisted-living residences, last conducted an onsite visit at Gabriel House at the end of October 2023. The facility was recertified that December, after addressing some areas of noncompliance, largely stemming from missing or delinquent documentation, according to reports reviewed by CNN. Gabriel House's owner, Dennis Etzkorn, said he and his family are 'devastated by the tragedy' that occurred Sunday night and pledged full cooperation with investigators. 'Our thoughts are with every one of our residents, their families, our staff, and the brave first responders,' Etzkorn said in the statement. 'We will continue to cooperate with the authorities and provide them with any information they may need throughout the investigative process regarding the cause and origin of this fire.' Etzkorn faced criminal charges more than a decade ago that may have banned him from operating an assisted-living facility if he'd been convicted. He was accused of running a scheme to illegally pay kickbacks in order to receive Medicare patients, but prosecutors dropped the charges after a judge rule key evidence had been obtained improperly, according to records reviewed by CNN. Between 2003 and 2013, Etzkorn was sued in federal court at least three times by former employees who accused him of sexual harassment. Those cases were settled out of court, according to records. Authorities have identified seven of the nine Gabriel House residents who died in Sunday's fire. Three were in their 60s, five were in their 70s, and the oldest was 86 years old. Among them was Richard Rochon, a 78-year-old Vietnam veteran. Rochon's family mourned his death by highlighting the struggles he endured throughout his life – including PTSD, homelessness and affording health care – and called for better treatment of American veterans. 'We as a country should take care of veterans better,' the family said in a statement to CNN. 'They have served for our country; the least we can do is make sure they live a happy healthy retirement.' Around 30 residents were hospitalized after the fire, including one person in critical condition, the district attorney said. Dozens of residents displaced by the fire had found temporary housing as of Monday, according to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services. CNN's Jason Carroll, Sarah Boxer, Jillian Sykes, Casey Tolan, Isabelle Chapman and Majlie de Puy Kamp contributed to this report.
CNN
3 hours ago
- CNN
An investigation is underway after a fire engulfed a Massachusetts assisted-living facility, killing 9 people. Here's what we know
Calls to 911 reporting a fire at an assisted-living facility in Fall River, Massachusetts, began coming in shortly after 9:30 p.m. Sunday, marking the start of a prolonged emergency response to rescue the roughly 70 people who lived there, many of whom were wheelchair-bound or dependent on oxygen tanks. Despite the efforts of scores of firefighters – nearly half of whom were off duty at the time – and 'every police officer in the city,' nine Gabriel House residents died in the fire, according to officials. Those killed range in age from 61 to 86. Dozens of others were injured, one critically. Residents described being blinded by smoke as they tried to escape the three-story building. Some hung out of windows, begging to be rescued, Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon said. Authorities, including the Massachusetts State Police, are investigating what started the fire, but the cause 'does not appear to be suspicious at this time,' the district attorney said in Monday afternoon. The owner of Gabriel House has promised to fully cooperate with investigators. 'It's a tragedy, no matter how it happened or what started it,' Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan told CNN. Here's what we know about the fire as the investigation continues: Many Gabriel House residents – unable to walk or reliant on oxygen tanks – were trapped as smoke filled the hallways. Loraine Ferrara told CNN affiliate WCVB she was rescued through her bathroom window. 'I thought I was dead … I couldn't breathe. I thought I was going to meet my maker.' Al Manza said he got a face full of smoke when he opened his door. 'All that I could do was just stand there and choke,' Manza told WCVB, noting he couldn't even see the hand of the firefighter who led him to safety through the dense smoke. Firefighters broke windows and evacuated residents on ladders. In some cases, air conditioning units had to be pushed out of windows to pull people to safety, according to the firefighers' union president. Many residents were unconscious or trapped and unable to escape on their own. One woman whose father lived at Gabriel House desperately tried to guide him to safety while they were on the phone. 'He was on the floor talking to me, and I am crying, telling him, 'Break the window. Try to break it,' because he is so weak, and he couldn't break it,' she told WCVB. Her father was rescued after she was able to direct firefighters to his location. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healy emphasized the unique challenges of rescuing the assisted-living residents after visiting the scene, saying, 'All of these people needed assistance.' 'Many were in wheelchairs. Many were immobile. Many had oxygen tanks. They were severely compromised,' the governor said. Firefighters and police sped to the scene of the fire after the assisted-living facility's automatic alarm system triggered an emergency call. Still, first responders pleaded for additional help rescuing residents, many of whom were unconscious or unable to walk, according to Broadcastify audio from Sunday night. At the response's peak, about 65 firefighters were on the scene – nearly half of whom rushed to help even though they were off duty. 'Every police officer in the city' also rushed to the scene, the fire chief said. 'Everybody was rescuing people.' 'When I got here, what I saw was everyone overwhelmed,' said Michael O'Regan, one of the off-duty firefighters who responded and the president of the Fall River firefighters' union. Rushing to the fire meant going without breathing equipment for some of the off-duty responders, O'Regan said. 'I didn't have time to go get the stuff, and we didn't have any extra stuff, so we did what we had to do.' Frank O'Regan, Michael's brother and fellow firefighter, said he was horrified when he arrived 40 minutes into the response to find residents still trapped on Gabriel House's third floor. 'I couldn't believe that after all this time, there was still a full area with people trapped,' he said, calling it one of the events with the 'worst loss of life' he's seen in his career, he said. Understaffing of the Fall River Fire Department limited the response to Sunday's fire, according to Edward Kelly, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters. National standards call for four firefighters per company, but only two of Fall River's 10 companies meet that, he said, noting eight more firefighters could have been available if the standard was met. Bacon, the fire chief, acknowledged the shortfall and said that particular standard hasn't been met in the city since the 1980s or 90s. Gabriel House, founded in 1999, housed around 70 residents at the time of the fire, according to the Department of Fire Services. Two staff members were working overnight Sunday, Bacon said. The facility was set for recertification and a compliance review in November, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services told CNN. Massachusetts' Executive Office of Aging & Independence, the state agency responsible for certifying assisted-living residences, last conducted an onsite visit at Gabriel House at the end of October 2023. The facility was recertified that December, after addressing some areas of noncompliance, largely stemming from missing or delinquent documentation, according to reports reviewed by CNN. Gabriel House's owner, Dennis Etzkorn, said he and his family are 'devastated by the tragedy' that occurred Sunday night and pledged full cooperation with investigators. 'Our thoughts are with every one of our residents, their families, our staff, and the brave first responders,' Etzkorn said in the statement. 'We will continue to cooperate with the authorities and provide them with any information they may need throughout the investigative process regarding the cause and origin of this fire.' Etzkorn faced criminal charges more than a decade ago that may have banned him from operating an assisted-living facility if he'd been convicted. He was accused of running a scheme to illegally pay kickbacks in order to receive Medicare patients, but prosecutors dropped the charges after a judge rule key evidence had been obtained improperly, according to records reviewed by CNN. Between 2003 and 2013, Etzkorn was sued in federal court at least three times by former employees who accused him of sexual harassment. Those cases were settled out of court, according to records. Authorities have identified seven of the nine Gabriel House residents who died in Sunday's fire. Three were in their 60s, five were in their 70s, and the oldest was 86 years old. Among them was Richard Rochon, a 78-year-old Vietnam veteran. Rochon's family mourned his death by highlighting the struggles he endured throughout his life – including PTSD, homelessness and affording health care – and called for better treatment of American veterans. 'We as a country should take care of veterans better,' the family said in a statement to CNN. 'They have served for our country; the least we can do is make sure they live a happy healthy retirement.' Around 30 residents were hospitalized after the fire, including one person in critical condition, the district attorney said. Dozens of residents displaced by the fire had found temporary housing as of Monday, according to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services. CNN's Jason Carroll, Sarah Boxer, Jillian Sykes, Casey Tolan, Isabelle Chapman and Majlie de Puy Kamp contributed to this report.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Aussie L-plater's surprise response after copping $1,689 fine and losing licence
A learner driver has copped a $1689 fine and been banned from the road for three months after he was allegedly caught driving unsupervised, and with methamphetamine and cannabis in his system. As police ramp up their road safety efforts these school holidays in New South Wales, officers say numerous examples have emerged of drivers flouting the law. At about 7.20am on Monday, Highway Patrol were conducting inspections at Tharbogang, in the state's Riverina region, when they stopped a silver Nissan sedan being driven by a 25-year-old man. The man was asked to produce his licence and was subjected to drug and alcohol testing. Officers quickly determined that he was unsupervised, and then he allegedly returned positive results for both meth and marijuana. When confronted with the penalty, he simply asked in return: "Can I still get my Ps?" The man's learner's licence was immediately suspended for three months, with several infringement notices handed down, totalling a combined $1,689. "Formal action will be taken against the driver in relation to the illicit drugs present in his system when the oral fluid sample obtained is analysed," NSW Police Traffic and Highway Patrol Command said on Tuesday. It comes as police repeat their plea to motorists out on the roads these school holidays, a period known for higher-than-average incidents of road trauma. According to NSW Police, 20 per cent of fatal or serious crashes occur during school holiday periods. The NSW winter public school holidays began on Monday, July 7 and conclude on Friday, July 18. In the July holidays last year, eight people lost their lives in fatal crashes — the same number of deaths were recorded for the same period in 2023. Major street change avalanche of new car models set to hit Australian market Aussie council responds after local left stunned by $1,000 fine Calls for road rule change as more Aussie cities reduce urban speed limits So far this year, 190 lives have been lost, up a staggering 29 more deaths from last year. Traffic and Highway Patrol Commander, Assistant Commissioner David Driver, said the July school holidays are a time when "weather conditions could contribute" to serious accidents. "Drivers need to be aware of the risks when travelling in wet and snowing conditions, with black ice a serious hazard on our roads at this time of year," he said. "Our data shows one in five serious or fatal crashes happen in the school holidays. We also know that about two-thirds of fatal crashes occur on regional areas. Take extra care, reduce your speed, and remain focused so you and your family can arrive at your destination safely. "As always, don't speed, wear a seatbelt, never drive when tired, do not use a mobile phone while driving and never drive if affected by drugs or alcohol." Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
