Police have found a van belonging to a missing German backpacker nearly a fortnight after she was last seen in a remote Australian town – but have so far found no trace of her.
Carolina Wilga, 26, was last seen at a general store in the town of Beacon in Western Australia (WA), roughly 200 miles northeast of the city of Perth, just after midday local time on Sunday 29 June. She left about five minutes after arriving, and has not been seen or heard from since.
WA police found her Mitsubishi Delica van abandoned a little further northeast at 1.10pm on Thursday, and a police spokesperson said it was believed the van had suffered mechanical issues.
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“Carolina Wilga was not at the scene. The search to locate her is continuing, with additional resources being deployed to the area,” police said.
The German national has been backpacking through Australia for the last two years, according to police, alternately working in mining sites in regional WA and staying in backpacker hostels in Perth.
Police have deployed helicopters and planes in the ongoing search, according to local media reports, and Detective Senior Sgt Katharine Venn said on Thursday that there are growing concerns for her welfare.
“Someone out there must have some vital information which can assist WA police in bringing Carolina back to her family and friends. We encourage anyone with information to come forward and contact police,” she said.
Police say Wilga was seen at a convenience store in Toodyay at around 4.30pm on Saturday 28 June, and later travelled to the Dowerin area. She was sighted the next day in Beacon, which is also the last day her friends reported hearing from her.
Det Sen Sgt Venn said police are taking the case “very seriously”, in additional remarks reported by The Guardian.
The detective also said it was possible that Wilga was visiting picturesque but “very remote” tourist spots. Her vehicle was found in the Karroun Hill area, which boasts a 3097 sq km nature reserve.
“She could be off grid, not have access to her phone, and she certainly had the capacity in the vehicle she was travelling in to be self-sufficient for quite some time,” Det Sen Sgt Venn said, according to The Guardian. “[Her] family are understandably distraught, very worried, as any of us would be with a young family member the other side of the world, missing in such unusual circumstances.”
In comments published by local news outlet WA Today, Det Sen Sgt Venn said police do not believe at this stage that anyone else is involved in her disappearance.
“This is a missing persons investigation; there is no indication that there’s any third-party involvement in her disappearance, but our minds are open to any line of inquiry,” she said.
Ms Wilga’s mother, Katja, pleaded for information about her daughter on social media.
“Carolina is still sorely missed. If anyone has any information, please contact police,” she said, according to Australia’s national broadcaster the ABC.
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