Rescued German Backpacker Details Australia Bush Ordeal
Carolina Wilga, 26, was found on a scarcely used track in Western Australia late last week miles from her vehicle after going missing in remote bushland, and police said she was lucky to have survived.
They found her abandoned van stuck in dense bushland north of the town of Beacon, with plastic orange traction boards placed beneath the rear wheels.
"Some people might wonder why I even left my car, even though I had water, food, and clothing there," Wilga said Monday in a statement issued through Western Australia Police.
"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 thanked those who had helped to track her down.
"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."
Hungry, thirsty and covered in insect bites, Wilga was airlifted to a Perth hospital for treatment after she was found on Friday.
The backpacker had lost hope of being rescued, police said.
"She spent 11 nights exposed to the elements and survived by consuming the minimal food supplies she had in her possession, and drinking water from rain and puddles," Western Australia police said last week.
"She sought shelter at night where possible, including in a cave."
Wilga was suffering from exhaustion, dehydration, sunburn, "extensive insect bites", and an injured foot, police said.
The driver who spotted her, Tania Henley, told public broadcaster ABC that she saw Wilga waving her hands by the side of the road.
She appeared to be in a "fragile state", bitten by midges and suffering from the cold.
"Everything in this bush is very prickly. I just can't believe that she survived. She had no shoes on, she'd wrapped her foot up," Henley said.
Until her rescue, she had been last seen on June 29 arriving in the van at a general store in Beacon.
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DW
a day ago
- DW
German backpacker explains how she got lost in Australia – DW – 07/14/2025
Carolina Wilga thanked the Australian community for their help, saying she made it out of the wilderness because of the "outpouring of support." She had spent 11 nights in Australia's remote Outback. German backpacker Carolina Wilga thanked her "rescuer and angel" in a statement she issued Monday from the hospital where she's recovering in Western Australian state capital Perth. Wilga, who is 26 years old, was found 11 nights after she was lost in the remote Australian Outback, having survived the dangerous terrain and harsh temperatures there. Her car was spotted a day before she was eventually rescued by a member of the public in a chance encounter. A Western Australian police inspector telling reporters last week it was a "miracle" to have found her car because of the rugged terrain. Wilga's family had last heard from her on June 29, and Australian farmer Tania Henley found her on July 11. Henley told Australia's public broadcaster that Wilga was waving at her from the side of a road she had been walking along. Wilga had walked barefoot across a huge distance in the remote reserve after abandoning her van many miles away from any established track. She wrote in her statement that she had lost control of the car. "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." Australian public broadcaster ABC reported that spot Wilga was found was located over 30 kilometers (over 18.6 miles) away from where she had left her car. Western Australian police earlier said that the traveler had survived by drinking rainwater and water from puddles. Wilga thanked the Western Australia community for their help and said she was certain she survived because of the "outpouring of support" she received from people. Her statement in full is:
DW
a day ago
- DW
German backpacker 'grateful' for Australia wilderness rescue – DW – 07/14/2025
Carolina Wilga thanked the Australian community for their help, saying she was certain she made it out of the wilderness because of the "outpouring of support." She had spent 11 nights in Australia's remote Outback. German backpacker Carolina Wilga thanked her "rescuer and angel" Monday in a statement she issued from the hospital in Western Australian state capital Perth where she is recovering. Wilga, who is 26 years old, was found 11 nights after she was lost in the remote Australian Outback, having survived the dangerous terrain and harsh temperatures there. Wilga's car was spotted a day before she was eventually rescued by a member of the public in a chance encounter, with a Western Australian police inspector telling reporters last week it was a "miracle" to have spotted her car because of the rugged terrain. Wilga's family had last heard from her on June 29, and Australian farmer, Tania Henley, found her on July 11, with Henley telling Australia's public broadcaster that Wilga was waving at her from the side of a road she had been walking along. Wilga had walked barefoot across a huge distance in the remote reserve after abandoning her van many miles away from any established track, with Wilga writing in her statement that she had lost control of the car. "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." Australian public broadcaster ABC reported that spot Wilga was found was located over 30 kilometers (over 18.6 miles) away from where she had left her car. Western Australian police earlier said that the traveler had survived by drinking rainwater and water from puddles. Wilga thanked the Western Australia community for their help and said she was certain she survived because of the "outpouring of support" she received from people. Her statement in full is:
Int'l Business Times
a day ago
- Int'l Business Times
Rescued German Backpacker Details Australia Bush Ordeal
A German backpacker who survived 11 nights in the Australian bush described on Monday how she got lost and confused after crashing her car. Carolina Wilga, 26, was found on a scarcely used track in Western Australia late last week miles from her vehicle after going missing in remote bushland, and police said she was lucky to have survived. They found her abandoned van stuck in dense bushland north of the town of Beacon, with plastic orange traction boards placed beneath the rear wheels. "Some people might wonder why I even left my car, even though I had water, food, and clothing there," Wilga said Monday in a statement issued through Western Australia Police. "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 thanked those who had helped to track her down. "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." Hungry, thirsty and covered in insect bites, Wilga was airlifted to a Perth hospital for treatment after she was found on Friday. The backpacker had lost hope of being rescued, police said. "She spent 11 nights exposed to the elements and survived by consuming the minimal food supplies she had in her possession, and drinking water from rain and puddles," Western Australia police said last week. "She sought shelter at night where possible, including in a cave." Wilga was suffering from exhaustion, dehydration, sunburn, "extensive insect bites", and an injured foot, police said. The driver who spotted her, Tania Henley, told public broadcaster ABC that she saw Wilga waving her hands by the side of the road. She appeared to be in a "fragile state", bitten by midges and suffering from the cold. "Everything in this bush is very prickly. I just can't believe that she survived. She had no shoes on, she'd wrapped her foot up," Henley said. Until her rescue, she had been last seen on June 29 arriving in the van at a general store in Beacon.
