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.
