Backpacker Recounting Health Care Experience in Germany
In a heartwarming tale of resilience and community spirit, 26-year-old Carolina Wilga, a German backpacker, has been hailed as a miracle after surviving an 11-day ordeal in the remote Karroun Hill Nature Reserve in Western Australia.
Wilga, who had been living in Western Australia for two years, was last seen at a general store in Beacon on June 29, 2025. Travelling alone in her Mitsubishi Delica, she veered into the vast nature reserve, her vehicle becoming bogged in wet sand some 35–36 kilometres from the nearest road.
After spending a night with her vehicle and unable to get phone reception, Wilga decided to seek help on foot, but quickly became lost in the remote wilderness. She survived 11 nights exposed to extreme cold, relying on minimal food she had with her and finding water from rain and puddles. Wilga slept wherever she could find shelter, including inside a cave, and spent her days moving westward and later flagging down help on Mouroubra Road.
Wilga was found in a fragile but stable condition—exhausted, dehydrated, sunburnt, and with an injured foot, but conscious and communicative. She was suffering from numerous mosquito bites, a testament to the harshness of the outback environment. Despite her ordeal, Wilga was determined to continue her travels in Australia, stating her love for the country and her desire to eventually visit the East Coast. She remains in hospital, receiving treatment for her injuries and emotional support, and has been in contact with her family in Germany.
The brave rescuer who found Wilga was Tania Henley, a long-time local farming resident. Henley was returning to her homestead after picking up a trailer in Beacon when she spotted Wilga waving her arms by the roadside on Mouroubra Road, about 24 km from where Wilga’s van was stranded and 40 km from Henley’s home. Henley immediately recognized Wilga from the intense media coverage of her disappearance. Henley described Wilga as being very relieved to be picked up and noted that despite her poor condition, she was mentally alert and grateful for the rescue.
Wilga has expressed her deep gratitude for the courage, helpfulness, and warmth shown to her during her ordeal in Western Australia. She believes she only survived thanks to the support she received during her eleven-day ordeal in the Australian outback. In a statement published by the Australian police on Facebook, Wilga thanked "all the incredible support during the search for me."
Since her rescue, Wilga has stated that she didn't know where she belonged in a culture on the other side of the world before her ordeal, but now feels like she's part of it. Her ordeal has been reported by ntv.de and mdi, with the survival of this young German backpacker being hailed as a testament to human spirit and the power of community.
I'm not sure, but it seems that Carolina Wilga, who miraculously survived an 11-day ordeal in the Australian outback, may have found solace in the science of health-and-wellness and mental-health, as her resilience and determination could be attributed to the emotional support she received during her ordeal. After her rescue, she expressed her gratitude for the courage, helpfulness, and warmth shown to her and believes she only survived thanks to the support she received.
