A German backpacker, Carolina Wilga, has recounted her harrowing experience of surviving nearly two weeks lost in the Australian Outback after her van crashed. Wilga, 27, disappeared on June 29, 2025, near Beacon, Western Australia, approximately 300 kilometers northeast of Perth, following a head injury sustained in the accident.
She was found dazed and confused by local farmer Tania Henley on a dirt road, having lost 12 kilograms during her 12-day ordeal. In a recent interview, Wilga described hearing what she perceived as an "alarm" sound that prompted her to leave her vehicle without supplies and wander deeper into the remote landscape.
"(It was) kind of like an alarm for me and I felt like I (had) to wake up," Wilga told 7News Spotlight. "I'm sleeping. It was my alarm, like, 'Get up out of your bed'. So I started walking but I didn't know what I was doing."
During her time lost in the bushland, Wilga survived by drinking water from puddles and sleeping in a cave. She stated that thoughts of her family provided her with the will to live, recalling a promise she made to her mother not to give up.
Police had initiated a land and air search for Wilga after she was reported missing by friends and family. Her abandoned van was discovered in the Karroun Hill area. Authorities confirmed she had become disoriented after hitting her head in the crash.
Farmer Tania Henley found Wilga approximately 24 kilometers from her vehicle. Henley recalled encountering Wilga at Mount Churchman, a remote landmark on private property, just 24 hours before the backpacker's rescue. Henley's efforts to check tracks near the area, which had been affected by water, were ongoing when she met Wilga.
Wilga expressed gratitude to Henley, calling her an "angel" for her kindness and assistance in getting her to the police. Henley described her actions as a natural response, stating, "To me, it's the Australian way. You help when people need help."
During her ordeal, Wilga suffered cuts, bruises, dehydration, and exhaustion. Overnight temperatures in the area dropped to near freezing. Western Australia Police Commissioner Col Blanch commented on the remarkable nature of Wilga's survival, particularly given the duration and location.
Wilga has since written a book about her experience, titled "Escaping the Outback: My Fight for Survival in the Australian Wilderness," and plans to return to Australia. She intends to visit Bimbijy Station to see Ms Henley again.
