A German backpacker, Carolina Wilga, has been found safe after spending 11 nights lost in the treacherous outback of Western Australia. The 26-year-old managed to survive by sipping rainwater and relying on minimal food supplies while sheltering in a cave. Police reported that she was in a "confused and disorientated" state when she wandered 24 kilometers (15 miles) from her stranded van.
Ms. Wilga was last spotted at a local store on June 29 before her vehicle became stuck in dense bushland. Thankfully, she was discovered by a driver named Tania Henley, who noticed Carolina waving for help on the side of the road. Henley described her as being in a fragile condition, as she lacked shoes and had wrapped her injured foot.
Police consider her rescue to be attributed to sheer luck, with acting inspector Jessica Securo noting the extreme conditions Ms. Wilga faced, including exhaustion, dehydration, and extensive insect bites. Currently, she is recovering at a hospital in Perth, where she is taking things one day at a time after a long sleep.
