Missing German backpacker found 'safe and well' in Australia after two week search

A missing German backpacker has been found alive nearly two weeks after she was last heard from in Western Australia’s remote outback.

The last known sighting of 26-year-old German backpacker Carolina Wilga had been June 29 at a general store in the remote wheat farming town of Beacon, 200 miles northeast of the Western Australia state capital Perth. Her friends and family had not heard from her since. The discovery of her van on Thursday in wilderness in the Karroun Hill Nature Reserve, around 60 miles north of Beacon, had focused the search area, Western Australia Police Force Acting Insp Jessica Securo said.

WA Police on Friday night confirmed Ms Wilga had been located “safe and well”.

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Inspector Martin Glynn said the 26-year-old had been found by a member of the public on a track at the edge of the nature reserve where her car was found.

“She’s been located walking on a bushtrack on the edge of the reserve from which she was missing and she’s been recovered by a member of the public – which was fantastic,” he said. “Obviously she would have covered a lot of ground in that time as she tried to make her way out of there.”

She was taken to Beacon and then flown 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,” Mr Glynn said.

“She does have some injuries. She’s been ravaged by mosquitoes. She’s obviously been through an amazing journey, a trauma no doubt will be a testimony to demonstrating her bravery in those circumstances out there.”

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