Backpacker thought she had 'died and this is hell' after nightmare 12-day Outback ordeal

Backpacker thought she had 'died and this is hell' after nightmare 12-day Outback ordeal Speaking for the first time about the horrors she suffered while stranded in the Australian Outback last year, her incredible struggle is the ultimate tale of true grit and survival Ill-fated German backpacker Carolina Wilga has revealed how she survived a harrowing 12-day ordeal lost in the Outback last year. Her car broke down during a solo 350-kilometre road trip through Western Australia. Wilga, now 27, is a far cry from the malnourished and frostbitten woman who was saved from wandering the remote, desolate landscape by a chance encounter. Speaking for the first time about the horrors she suffered while out bush, her incredible struggle is the ultimate tale of true grit and survival. The German backpacker still does not remember the entirety of her horror-filled near-fortnight in hell. She does remember seeing oncoming twin lights crossing over to her side of the road— a car— which caused her to panic and thus triggered a series of unfortunate and near-deadly events. “I got such a weird gut feeling and a crazy feeling of danger as the car approached," she said. "I turned the steering wheel into a fence. It was an irrational moment out of fear.” Unexpected things happen on the Outback's wild roads. To Australians, the crash was an understandable chain of events. To a German backpacker, unfamiliar with the landscape, the crash came close to being her downfall as she lay starving days later. She decided to head out on foot after her car crash; a move questioned in the month that followed by many, with critics dubbing the move both foolish and dangerous. “Some people might wonder why I even left my car, even though I had water, food, and clothing there,” she told 7News back in2025. “As a result of the accident, I left my car in a state of confusion and got lost.” What followed was two weeks lost in the West Australian wilds, battling through hot days, freezing temperatures at night, and heavy rain. She followed the direction of the setting sun, hoping it would eventually lead her back to civilisation. Wilga recounted at one point wondering if she was actually already dead and was actually in hell. She also attempted to end her own suffering via two suicide attempts but was ultimately unsuccessful as her body’s ingrained survival instincts kicked in. So, she made a promise in her own head to her mother that she would simply keep walking until she died. By some miracle, she was found by a member of the public near Karroun Hill Nature Reserve 12 days after she vanished in WA's Wheatbelt region. Her rescuers found her wandering about 310km north-east of the state capital of Perth. She was airlifted to Royal Perth Hospital in a stable condition, with paramedics confirming she had suffered from some minor injuries and was decimated by mosquito bites. Her 7News interview, which will also include a virtual reunion with her rescuer Tarnia Henley, will be aired in a matter of hours during Friday's 6pm news.