https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/incidents/wa-police-give-update-on-search-for-missing-german-backpacker-carolina-wilga/news-story/f8b10afcadaba888f42f153d0b60b75c

Backpacker found alive!

Seriously everyone involved in the search deserves a medal!

Amazing outcome!!!

Not hard to get lost over there. It's a big place. Even locals look lost.

Found by a random member of the public.

On her way to a Perth hospital now.

Her family in Germany will be relieved.

But shes found and alive and hopefully will be ok.

I’m pretty stoked.

I don’t believe this is a hide in the snowy mountains episode but just a someone with a strong spirit ( Germans) messing up when adventuring.

I’ve been there done that.

I wonder the benefits of  Epirb  ?

I spend time at sea and it’s my lifeboat and cuddling pillow.

Why can’t we rent these out to intrepid travelers who are willing to the lesser walked way?

Excellent news! This must have just happened as the 630 news still had her as missing.  I was thinking the worst.

A few things to consider…. Why a 26 year old female German backpacker on her own… goes out like that into unknown territory, on her own?
Why didn’t she stay with vehicle, since it was found first. And the nights were zero degrees.
Don’t they say to stay with vehicle?
She was super lucky was found by a local yokel ….

Daves2017 wrote on Jul 11^th, 2025 at 8:02pm:

But shes found and alive and hopefully will be ok. I’m pretty stoked. I don’t believe this is a hide in the snowy mountains episode but just a someone with a strong spirit ( Germans) messing up when adventuring. I’ve been there done that. I wonder the benefits of  Epirb  ? I spend time at sea and it’s my lifeboat and cuddling pillow. Why can’t we rent these out to intrepid travelers who are willing to the lesser walked way?

I’ve heard Epirb has saved some with swift rescues.

Thinking about Harold Holt, our prime minister that went missing when scuba diving. Never found.
So many stories… but rips can take you under, drown you and sweep out to sea. That’s what I believe happened to Harry.

Sophia wrote on Jul 12^th, 2025 at 5:04pm:

A few things to consider…. Why a 26 year old female German backpacker on her own… goes out like that into unknown territory, on her own?

Yeah.

Certainly not a wise decision.

The thing is, a lot of people from Europe don't understand just how different (and big) Australia is.

I remember when my Austrian cousin first visited Perth, many decades ago.

We were sitting out the back having a BBQ and she asked if we could drive to Sydney that afternoon to have a quick look around.

True story.

She had no idea.

She asked me to take her to the Pinnacles one day, and expected the entire trip to take little more than an hour - there and back (including sightseeing).

Sophia wrote on Jul 12^th, 2025 at 5:04pm:

A few things to consider…. Why a 26 year old female German backpacker on her own… goes out like that into unknown territory, on her own? Why didn’t she stay with vehicle, since it was found first. And the nights were zero degrees. Don’t they say to stay with vehicle? She was super lucky was found by a local yokel ….

When I did taxi. A blonde young German backpacker had come back from her warm shower in the public amenities. It was a cold 6am morning and I was waiting for my favourite Chish & Fips shop to open for my morning coffee and  Fips come 7am. When the shop opened, she re-emerged from her travelling van. She approached me asking for some advice. I learned that her German boyfriend had left her stranded and was back in Germany. I shouted her $20 worth of morning brekkie which made her day I think.

Sophia wrote on Jul 12^th, 2025 at 5:04pm:

A few things to consider…. Why a 26 year old female German backpacker on her own… goes out like that into unknown territory, on her own? Why didn’t she stay with vehicle, since it was found first. And the nights were zero degrees. Don’t they say to stay with vehicle? She was super lucky was found by a local yokel ….

In my prime I have had experience with a young German woman.

This comes as no surprise to me.

They always  push.

It’s in their dna to adventure and they are definitely not always up to the task but they just push on regardless 😎

I travel regularly in the outback of WA, I go to the most remote and isolated places and run into female German backpackers who work in remote locations. They get some sort of visa concession from working in remote places. I find these ladies a good source of information, they take an interest in where they are and have excellent knowledge of the surrounding area.