A German backpacker who survived 12 days lost in Australia’s remote outback has said she is “beyond grateful to have survived.”
In her first public statement since being found alive on Friday, 26-year-old Carolina Wilga said she “hit her head significantly” when she crashed her car and became lost after abandoning it in “a state of confusion.”
Wilga was found alive on Friday afternoon, nearly two weeks after she disappeared in the bushland.
According to the Associated Press, the crew of a police helicopter spotted her vehicle Thursday in wilderness in the Karroun Hill Nature Reserve, 36 kilometers (22 miles) north of the town of Beacon.
“Some people might wonder why I even left my car, even though I had water, food, and clothing there,” she wrote in a statement released by Western Australia Police Force on Monday.
“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.”
Wilga’s message, shared by Western Australia Police Force on Facebook, expressed thanks to those who searched for her, as well as to medical staff and the German consulate.
“I want to express a huge thank you from the bottom of my heart — a thank you that truly comes from the depth of my soul,” she said.
“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. For this, I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
According to AP, Western Australia Police Force Inspector Martin Glynn said a member of the public found her wandering on a forest trail late Friday.
She was in a “fragile” state but had no serious injuries and was flown to a hospital in Perth for treatment, Glynn told reporters.
“You know, she’s obviously coped in some amazing conditions,” he said. “There’s a very hostile environment out there, both from flora and fauna. It’s a really, really challenging environment to cope in.”
The reserve where Wilga was lost covers more than 300,000 hectares (740,000 acres), according to AP.
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