MELBOURNE, Australia — German tourist Carolina Wilga was found alive in Australia's remote Outback on Friday, 12 days after she went missing and a day after her abandoned van was discovered, police said.
The last known sighting of the 26-year-old backpacker, and the last day family and friends heard from her, was June 29. She was seen a general store in the wheat farming town of Beacon, 320 kilometers (200 miles) northeast of the Western Australia state capital Perth. Beacon had a population of 123 during the 2021 census.
A member of the public found Wilga wandering on a forest trail late Friday, Western Australia Police Force Insp. Martin Glynn said.
She was in a ''fragile'' state but had no serious injuries and was flown to a hospital in Perth for treatment, Glynn told reporters.
''I think once we do hear her story, it will be a remarkable story,'' Glynn said, adding it was a ''great result'' for the backpacker's family and those involved in the search.
''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.''
Police assume backpacker became stuck June 29
The reserve where Wilga was lost covers more than 300,000 hectares (740,000 acres). The Thursday-Friday overnight temperature was 2.6 degrees Celsius (36.7 Fahrenheit) in the area with no rain.