A heroic Australian farmer has described the emotional moment she discovered a German backpacker who had been missing for nearly two weeks in the remote Outback — surviving on puddle water and taking shelter in a cave.
Tania French spotted Carolina Wilga, 26, stumbling near a rarely traveled dirt road in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia — 12 days after the tourist vanished in the harsh bushland.
“I just stopped the car when I saw her waving,” French told 7News. “She looked thin, disoriented — but alive. I got out, hugged her and said, ‘Everyone’s been looking for you.’”
Wilga, visibly shaken and exhausted, reportedly had no idea how long she’d been missing. “She was in shock when I told her it had been nearly two weeks,” French added. “She called me her ‘guardian angel.’”
‘It Was Meant to Be’
French had been driving near the remote town of Beacon, over 180 miles northeast of Perth, to pick up a truck when she happened upon Wilga by chance. The road she was on is rarely used by locals, let alone tourists.
“The odds of me being there at that exact time are unreal,” she said. “It really felt like it was meant to be.”
Surviving the Elements
Authorities believe Wilga became disoriented after her van broke down in the Karroun Hill region — a rugged, isolated area described by police as “inhospitable” and “unforgiving.” After unsuccessfully trying to repair the van, Wilga set out on foot in search of help, armed with minimal food and water.
Facing near-freezing temperatures and torrential rains, Wilga sought refuge in a cave and drank rainwater from puddles to survive.
“She’s lucky to be alive,” said Martin Glynn of the Western Australia Police. “She’s been through immense trauma and was covered in mosquito bites, but is otherwise in stable condition.”
Massive Search Effort
A large-scale search was launched after Wilga failed to check in with friends. A Facebook page titled Help Find Carolina was created to crowdsource information, and police issued an urgent nationwide alert. Her last known communication came via text at 7 a.m. on June 29, when she told a friend she had “stuff to handle” and would miss a meetup.
She was last seen that afternoon at a store in Beacon, where her van — outfitted with solar panels and a water tank — was later recovered. Wilga, however, had vanished without a trace.
Reunited and Recovering
After French contacted police, Wilga was airlifted to a hospital on Friday. Photos showed her boarding the rescue chopper, wrapped in a blanket and wearing a faint smile.
Wilga, who has been backpacking across Australia for the past two years, previously worked at regional mine sites. Her ordeal has drawn national attention, with many praising French’s intuition and timing.
“I’m just grateful I was there when she needed someone the most,” French said. “She’s lucky. But so am I — to have found her alive.”
