Carolina Wilga (26) has has been found after 11 nights in the Australian Outback. Photo credits: WA Police
A young German backpacker who vanished in remote bushland in Western Australia has been found alive, 12 days after her vehicle became stranded in an isolated nature reserve. Authorities have praised the survival of Carolina Wilga, 26, as “remarkable” and “against the odds,” after enduring nearly two weeks in the harsh wilderness alone.
Wilga had been travelling solo in her Mitsubishi van through the Karroun Hill Nature Reserve, northeast of Perth, when her vehicle became bogged on a bush track around 29 June. The region, known for its dense scrub, sparse water sources and limited mobile reception, presents serious risks for unprepared travellers.
When friends and locals lost contact with Wilga, police began an extensive aerial and ground search across the vast Wheatbelt region. Her abandoned van was spotted by air on 10 July, triggering renewed urgency among rescuers. Despite no sign of the woman near the vehicle, searchers widened the radius, believing she may have attempted to walk out of the reserve. A breakthrough came on the morning of 11 July, when a local resident found Wilga walking alone along a remote bush track around 24 kilometres from her vehicle. She was severely dehydrated, sunburned, covered in mosquito bites, and physically weakened but conscious and able to speak. She was airlifted to Royal Perth Hospital, where she is now receiving treatment.
Authorities said she survived freezing overnight temperatures, minimal water, and no food, as well as near-total isolation. Wilga had no mobile signal and had left behind her van, a move WA Police acknowledged made the search more difficult but may have saved her life, as she eventually reached an area closer to farms and tracks. Inspector Darryl Glynn of WA Police described the situation as “extraordinary,” noting that the survival window in such conditions is typically much shorter. “To endure 11 nights out there, in those temperatures, with the conditions she faced, she’s incredibly lucky to be alive.”
He added that while the general safety advice is for travellers to stay with their vehicle if stranded, Wilga’s perseverance and attempt to seek help showed “tremendous courage.” Wilga is expected to recover physically, though it remains unclear if she will remain in Australia or return to Germany following her ordeal. Her family has been informed and expressed deep relief.
The incident has renewed attention on traveller safety in Australia’s outback, particularly for international visitors unfamiliar with the terrain. Police encouraged all tourists to carry emergency beacons, maintain communication where possible, and inform others of their travel routes before entering isolated areas.
