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Outback survivor got lost for 11 days after hitting head in crash
The Guardian
|July 15, 2025
Carolina Wilga hit her head in a car crash and left her vehicle in a "state of confusion" before going missing in the outback of Western Australia for 11 nights, the German backpacker has revealed.
In the 26-year-old's first statement since flagging down a local woman, Tania, in a passing car on Friday afternoon, Wilga explained the series of events that led to her disappearance.
"Some people might wonder why I even left my car, even though I had water, food, and clothing there," she said in a statement yesterday.
"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."
The search for Wilga began after her family and friends raised the alarm, having not heard from her since 29 June. She was last seen visiting a shop in Beacon, a small town about 180 miles north-east of Perth.
Police deployed land and air resources, combing over the remote Wheatbelt area alongside volunteers.
This story is from the July 15, 2025 edition of The Guardian.
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