Carolina Wilga: Premier Roger Cook reveals German backpacker’s condition ‘continues to improve’

Premier Roger Cook has described German backpacker Carolina Wilga, who has spent her third night in hospital after surviving 12 days alone in the wilderness, as a “very brave woman”.

The 26-year-old remained in hospital in a stable condition at Fiona Stanley Hospital on Monday after miraculously surviving almost two weeks lost in WA’s Wheatbelt region.

Police said Ms Wilga had become “lost and disoriented” while exploring the Karroun Hill nature reserve in her Mitsubishi Delica which became bogged.

After spending just one day with her van — which had become “mechanically unsound” about 36km from any track — Ms Wilga embarked on a journey to find help.

Ms Wilga spent 11 nights on foot and survived by drinking water from puddles, sleeping in a cave and eating minimal food she had taken from her van.

Speaking on Monday, Mr Cook commended Ms Wilga for her bravery and said he believed she would spend another few nights in hospital.

“She remains in hospital at Fiona Stanley, she will be there for a few more nights, but I think her condition continues to improve,” he said.

“We know that Carolina is a very brave woman who’s had a remarkable escape from a very difficult situation stuck in the Outback for a number of days.”

Mr Cook urged other tourists to come prepared and educate themselves on WA’s harsh climate.

“It is important that anyone visiting Western Australia, particularly if they’re undertaking adventure travel, understand that it is a dangerous place in relation to the environment, scale and size of this place (and) how difficult that environment can be, both in terms of winter and summer,” he said.

“We need everyone to do the right thing when they come to WA to enjoy it.

“It’s an incredible part of the world, it’s a breathtakingly beautiful part of the world, but it can also be dangerous if you don’t take the right preparations.”

Ms Wilga was found 24km west of her abandoned van after frantically waving down Tania French, a long-time Wheatbelt resident, as she was driving on Mouroubra Road around Bimbijy on Friday afternoon.

Ravaged by mosquitoes, dehydrated and hungry with cuts and bruises, she was taken under the arm of police before being airlifted to Royal Perth Hospital for medical treatment.

A widespread search for Ms Wilga intensified after the backpackers’ friends hadn’t heard from her since June 29 — the same day she was last captured on CCTV driving through Beacon, about 330km north-east of Perth.

Ms Wilga has been backpacking around Australia for the past two years.