A German backpacker who miraculously survived 12 days in the remote and unforgiving Western Australian bush has revealed she lost 12kg during the ordeal.
Carolina Wilga issued a statement on Monday thanking the community for their search efforts after she was last seen in a small Wheatbelt town on June 29.
Sharing a picture on social media from her hospital bed, the backpacker was surrounded by pastries, chips, tea and food as she posed for the camera.
“When you need to gain the 12 kilograms back,” she captioned the social media image.
Dressed in a Billabong shirt and holding a bouquet of flowers, Ms Wilga said “thanks to the German Consulate” for the gifts she received.
In her first statement since the ordeal, the 26-year-old explained she got lost after losing control of her car, suffering a significant hit to her head in the accident leaving her in a state of confusion.
“First and foremost, I want to express a huge thank you from the bottom of my heart – a thank you that truly comes from the depth of my soul! For all the incredible supports during the search for me,” Ms Wilga said.
Sharing the message from hospital, Ms Wilga said she was “grateful to have survived”, thanking her “rescuer” and “angel” Tania Henley who found her walking along the road on July 11.
Read more from NewsWire here.
