German backpacker Carolina Wilga has been found alive after going missing 12 days ago in remote Western Australian bushland.
Insp Martin Glynn of WA police told reporters on Friday evening that the 26-year-old had been located walking on a bush track on the edge of the reserve where she had gone missing.
He said she had been recovered by a member of the public on the roadside and brought to Beacon. As of 7.30pm AEST, Wilga had been airlifted out of the area en route to hospital in Perth for medical attention.
“As you can imagine, from the trauma she suffered for the last few days, she’s been obviously through a great deal,” Glynn said.
Carolina Wilga boards a plane to fly her out of her remote location. Photograph: 7 News
“She does have some injuries. She’s been ravaged by mosquitoes. She’s obviously been through an amazing journey, a trauma, no doubt … [and] a testimony to demonstrating her bravery in those circumstances.
“There’s a very hostile environment out there, both from flora and fauna. It’s a really, really challenging environment.”
Glynn said Wilga did not appear to have any serious injuries but had a lot of minor ones.
“I think once we do hear her story, it will be a remarkable story,” Glynn said, adding that it was a “great result” for the backpacker’s family and those involved in the search.
Police on Thursday found Wilga’s abandoned Mitsubishi van about 150km from Beacon in the Karroun Hill area, which has been described as remote and inhospitable country.
Carolina Wilga … ‘I think once we do hear her story, it will be a remarkable story,’ police say. Photograph: WA police
“It’s a miracle they’ve actually spotted the car, to be honest,” Glynn said.
“The police air wing officers were able to identify that the vehicle was bogged and was subject to extensive efforts by her to recover the vehicle,” Glynn had told a media conference about an hour before it was announced that Wilga had been found.
Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email
“She’d used Maxtrax and pieces of wood to try to free the vehicle from its location, but unfortunately was unsuccessful.”
Police believe Wilga walked away from her vehicle once she was unable to free it.
It was unknown how far she had gotten from her vehicle at the time she was found, but Glynn said “obviously she would have covered a lot of ground in that time as she tried to make her way out of there”.
Glynn said Wilga’s family had been notified of her wellbeing, and thanked locals and the wider community for providing police with information over the past few days.
He was unable to confirm if Wilga had spoken to police, describing her condition as “quite … fragile”.
skip past newsletter promotion
Sign up to Breaking News Australia
Get the most important news as it breaks
Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
after newsletter promotion
Weather conditions in the region had dropped down to 0C at night.
“You’re always so hopeful with these missing person situations,” Glynn said. “It’s really quite traumatic because you obviously always go out with the best of hope that you will find the person. It’s just a great outcome for everyone involved.”
On Friday, police conducted a “reflex search” within a 300-metre radius of the van to gather any evidence that could have determined which direction Wilga had travelled.
Wilga last had contact with friends on 29 June after travelling through the towns of Toodyay and Dowerin, south-west of Beacon.
Carolina Wilga’s van was found abandoned in Karroun Hill nature reserve. Photograph: ABC
Speaking to media before Wilga was found, Acting Insp Jessica Securo said that an inexperienced person could easily become lost in that location.
“The terrain is outback country and there are large, rocky outcrops,” she told the ABC on Friday.
“So although there’s a number of tracks, you can see how it would be easy to become lost or disorientated in that area if you didn’t know it well.”
Securo said Wilga’s vehicle was located at least about 35km from any main tracks.
Map of Toodyay, Dowerin, Beacon and Karroun Hill nature reserve
Forensic officers had inspected the van to determine why it was abandoned and what Wilga may have been able to carry with her after she left it.
“It appears that as she was driving, she’s likely to [have] become lost, and then the car has suffered mechanical issues … and [she] has potentially walked away from her vehicle,” Securo said earlier on Friday.
She said that Wilga’s van was “self-sufficient” and that she had solar panels and water, but that the vehicle was mechanically unable to be used when it was found.
