Latest news with #TaniaHenley
Daily Mail
15-07-2025
- Daily Mail
German backpacker who survived nearly two weeks lost in the Australian wilderness reveals new health update from hospital
A German backpacker who spent 12 days lost in the West Australian Outback after abandoning her bogged van lost more than 10kg during the ordeal. Carolina Wilga was found by a driver on Friday after disappearing on June 29 near the remote WA town of Beacon, about 300km northeast of Perth. For the first time since her miraculous discovery, the 26-year-old returned to social media on Tuesday in a series of posts shared from the bed of a Perth hospital. Ms Wilga playfully smiled while holding a bunch of flowers in one image, surrounded by a vast array of food. 'When you need to gain 12 kilograms back,' the Instagram caption read. The second image is a close-up of the tasty delicacies, including chocolate and pastries. 'Thanks to the German Consulate,' its caption said. Police triggered a desperate search for the missing backpacker by land and air after friends and family reported her missing. She was last seen at about midday on June 29 at a general store in Beacon, a small town about 300km north-east of Perth. Authorities found her van abandoned in the Karroun Hill area - about 50km northeast - on Thursday with fears the young backpacker may have met a grim end. On Friday, she was found walking barefoot on an unsealed access road by local farmer Tania Henley about 24km from her car. In a statement shared by WA Police on Monday, Ms Wilga thanked Ms Henley as a 'rescuer and angel'. She also recounted the events leading to her discovery. 'Some people might wonder why I even left my car, even though I had water, food and clothing there,' she said in the statement issued by WA 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.' Police have revealed Ms Wilga was able to survive the 11 nights in the remote outback by drinking water from puddles and rationing the limited food she'd brought with her. She found whatever shelter she could at night to protect herself from freezing conditions, including a cave. Ms Wilga suffered cuts, bruises, dehydration and fatigue during her ordeal in bushland, where overnight temperatures fell to almost freezing. Police Commissioner Col Blanch said Ms Wilga's survival was remarkable given the amount of time she had spent in the wilderness. 'That's not something you would ordinarily expect, particularly in regional WA,' Mr Blanch told 6PR radio. 'To meet Tania on the road just at that moment (was) extraordinary luck.' Family and friends of Ms Wilga rejoiced at the news of her finally being found on Friday. Five of her friends were waiting for her outside the hospital and told reporters they planned to take her out for a pub feed once she recovered. '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. Ms Wilga 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.
News.com.au
15-07-2025
- News.com.au
Backpacker Carolina Wilga reveals what she lost during miracle survival in WA outback
A German backpacker who miraculously survived 12 days in the remote andunforgivingWestern Australian bush has revealed she lost 12kg during the ordeal. Carolina Wilga issued a statement on Monday thanking the community for their search efforts after she was last seen in a small Wheatbelt town on June 29. Sharing a picture on social media from her hospital bed, the backpacker was surrounded by pastries, chips, tea and food as she posed for the camera. 'When you need to gain the 12 kilograms back,' she captioned the social media image. Dressed in a Billabong shirt and holding a bouquet of flowers, Ms Wilga said 'thanks to the German Consulate' for the gifts she received. In her first statement since the ordeal, the 26-year-old explained she got lost after losing control of her car, suffering a significant hit to her head in the accident leaving her in a state of confusion. '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,' Ms Wilga said. Sharing the message from hospital, Ms Wilga said she was 'grateful to have survived', thanking her 'rescuer' and 'angel' Tania Henley who found her walking along the road on July 11. Authorities located Ms Wilga's car stuck in soft sand in Karroun Hill last week with no sign of the backpacker herself. Ms Wilga revealed she left her car in a state of confusion after a crash becoming lost in the remote nature reserve. 'Some people might wonder why I even left my car, even though I had water, food, and clothing there,' Ms Wilga said. '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.' Reflecting on her experience, Ms Wilga said despite being far from home she now feels deeply connected to the community that rallied around her during her ordeal. '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. '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. '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.'
RNZ News
14-07-2025
- RNZ News
Carolina Wilga releases statement after being found alive in WA's outback
By Gian De Poloni , Kenith Png and Garrett Mundy , ABC Carolina Wilga. Photo: Supplied Carolina Wilga, the backpacker who was found alive in Western Australia's unforgiving outback, says a car crash and head injury led her to become confused and lost for 11 nights. In her first public comments since being found on Friday afternoon, the 26-year-old thanked all the people who helped search for her. "I am simply beyond grateful to have survived," she wrote. Wilga, a German national, is recovering in a Perth hospital after her ordeal, during which she was exposed to freezing temperatures alone in WA's outback. She was found walking along on an unsealed access road by farmer Tania Henley on Friday afternoon in a chance encounter. Wilga had walked barefoot across a huge distance in harsh terrain after abandoning her van when it became bogged deep in the Karroun Hill Nature Reserve, straying far off any established track. Tania Henley who found missing German backpacker Carolina Wilga. Photo: ABC News: Rhiannon Shine On Monday afternoon, Carolina issued a statement saying she lost control of her van 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. Wilga said she had water, food and clothing in the van, but left the scene. During that period of 11 nights, police said Wilga was able to survive on the minimal food she had, and found water from rain and puddles. She had injured her foot, and had been ravaged by mosquitoes. They said she sought shelter at night where she could find it, including a cave. On Friday, Wilga was found by Henley - who owns Bimbijy Station - walking alongside a track about 40 kilometres south of the homestead. "I was coming back from Beacon because I'd been down to pick up my trailer," Henley told the ABC. "She was on the side of the road waving her hands." Henley said it could have been days before another person was travelling on the road where she found Wilga. A map showing the distance between where Wilga's abandoned car was found and where she was rescued. Photo: Google Earth/ABC The spot where Henley found Wilga was more than 30 kilometres away from where she abandoned her car. Wilga called Henley her "rescuer and angel." "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. "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. "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. "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! "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. "Thank you, Australia - you are amazing." Bush survival expert Kelli Jackson said the number one rule when encountering mechanical problems in the bush is to always stay with your car. But she said the stress response of being in an emergency survival scenario could make people think irrationally. "It's no surprise that people leave their vehicle," she told ABC Radio Perth. Survival expert Kelli Jackson stresses the importance of staying with a broken-down vehicle. Photo: ABC News: Emmy Groves "If you've been through any emergency situation, a car accident or something like that, you might remember how things go in slow motion. "We go through what's called an amygdala hijack where our hormones, our fight, flight or freeze [response] takes over, it takes away our ability to think logically and rationally." She said the shock people experience could make them do "really weird things" like throwing away their gear, running in a random direction or abandoning all their equipment. An example of panic was a 2022 case, where a woman who broke down on the Gibb River Road left her shoes behind in the shape of an arrow before embarking on a 20-kilometre walk. She was found alive four days later. Jackson, a former search and rescue worker, said the first priority for anyone caught in a situation where they were stranded in the bush should be to attend to any first aid. From there the next focus would be to take a moment to calm down, practice mindfulness techniques and wait for about half an hour before making a decision. "Have a drink, make a cup of tea, sit there and close your eyes, and all those kind of relaxation [techniques] that everybody knows about," she said. After that, the next priorities were survival, shelter, water, fire and signalling. Jackson said people wanted to feel useful in their own survival efforts, and sometimes a person who stayed with their car felt like they were not doing anything, despite it being a key source of shelter. "The reason why we stay with our vehicle is because it's much easier to be seen from the air." WA Premier Roger Cook said adventure travellers needed to understand WA's outback could be "dangerous place". "It's a breathtaking and beautiful part of the world. But it can also be dangerous if you don't take the right preparations." A collage of drone photos taken north of Beacon shows the terrain in the area where Ms Wilga went missing. Photo: ABC News: Mitchell Edgar The head of WA's tourism council has downplayed any damage to the state's reputation because of the international publicity the case has received. Evan Hall said it was extremely unlikely potential visitors to the state could be put off. "WA is really one of the safest places to travel in the world. There might be a little bit of focus on incidents that occur from time to time." Evan Hill Tourism Council CEO. Photo: ABC News: Jon Kerr Hall said WA's tourism industry remained largely centred on well known attractions and areas, where people rarely run into trouble. But there were key safety messages that needed to be heeded. "Don't rely on the phones in regional WA - and if you are planning to get off the well travelled roads and the well marked trails, absolutely make sure you've got a personal locater beacon and appropriate GPS," Hall said. "Tell someone [where you're going] before you leave." - ABC
The Independent
14-07-2025
- The Independent
German backpacker reveals how she became lost in Australian outback
A 26-year-old German backpacker, Carolina Wilga, was found alive in Western Australia 's remote outback after being lost for 11 days. Ms Wilga became disoriented and left her bogged van following a car crash and head injury in the Karroun Hill Nature Reserve. During her 11-day ordeal, she survived on minimal food and water sourced from rain and puddles, finding shelter wherever possible, including a cave. She was discovered on an unsealed access road by farmer Tania Henley, approximately 15 miles from her abandoned vehicle. Ms Wilga is currently receiving treatment for minor injuries and emotional support in hospital, and has been in contact with her family in Germany.
The Independent
14-07-2025
- The Independent
German backpacker speaks out after being found alive in Australian outback
A 26-year-old German backpacker found alive in Western Australia 's remote outback has revealed that a car crash and head injury left her disoriented and lost for 11 days. Carolina Wilga trekked through one of the most sparsely populated and remote places in the world after her van became bogged in the Karroun Hill Nature Reserve. Against the odds, Ms Wilga stumbled upon an unsealed access road, where a chance encounter with farmer Tania Henley led to her rescue. 'Some people might wonder why I even left my car, even though I had water, food, and clothing there,' Ms Wilga said in her first public comments since being found on Friday afternoon. '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.' During those 11 nights, police said Ms Wilga survived on minimal food and sourced water from rain and puddles. She also found shelter wherever she could, including in a cave, as she faced extreme weather. The 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. Ms Wilga's vehicle was found first, a day before she was spotted on the road just 15 miles from her abandoned van. She thanked her supporters and everyone who helped search for her. 'I am certain that I survived only thanks to this incredible outpouring of support,' Ms Wilga said in the statement, released by the Western Australian Police Force. '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.' 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. Rescuers had held grave fears for Ms Wilga 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.
