A woman who was missing in Australia for more than a week has been found alive after she drank from puddles to survive.
Rikki Leigh Mitchell was last seen at a rest stop between Townsville and Charters Towers in Queensland on May 2.
After a swim with her boyfriend, her partner went to visit friends in the area, leaving Rikki behind for another swim and walk.
When he returned, he couldn't find her.
Detective Inspector Jason Shepard said she became "disoriented" and spent days walking deeper and deeper into bushland.
She eventually found a quad bike on the land of a rural property, which she drove back in the direction of a road and came across the owner.
The man knew about the search for her, so drove her to meet authorities at the search party's command post.
About 20 emergency service volunteers [SES] and police officers had been involved in the search for Rikki each day.
Townsville SES group leader Greg Maloney said crews had found footprints and signs of life in the bushland but struggled to find any leads due to the "thick vegetation and tough terrain."
He continued: "Anybody could have been out here. This is a rest area. A lot of travellers moving through the area often go walking through the scrub."
Rikki was wearing a T-shirt, shorts and flip-flops when she went missing and had no phone.
Mr Shepard said she was covered in scratches and that she survived by drinking from puddles.
The detective continued: "Conditions have ranged from extreme heat to quite cool dips – and for her to be missing seven days in the bush it's a fantastic outcome considering the elements and the risk from wildlife, including snakes.
"I'm unable to quantify the distance, but her perseverance and grit in not giving up is a credit to her.
"She's a mum of four. She's definitely not a trained survivalist, the fact she's done this well in the bush is a credit to her."
Australians call walking in natural areas bushwalking. In other parts of the world, it can be known as hiking, rambling or trekking.
The Australian bush is the forested, bushy, area of Australia.
Last week, a 48-year-old woman survived five days stranded in the bush by drinking a single bottle of wine.
She was driving through the bush but accidentally turned into a dead-end and her vehicle became stuck in the mud.
The woman, who is teetotal, only had a bottle of wine in the car as she was planning to give it as a present.
She was eventually found by an emergency services helicopter.
