German backpacker found after 12 days missing in WA bush

Wilga had been last seen on June 29 arriving in a Mitsubishi van at a general store in the small agricultural community of Beacon, northeast of Perth.

Police found the van on Thursday apparently abandoned after getting stuck in dense bushland north of there, sparking a major land and air search of the area.

“She’s obviously coped in some amazing conditions. There’s a very hostile environment out there, both from flora and fauna. It’s a really, really challenging environment to cope in,” Glynn said.

– No serious injuries –

“The weather conditions have been really adverse, with temperatures getting down to zero. Night has been rain. There’s been reports of all sorts of challenges in that terrain.”

Her van was found with plastic orange traction tracks placed beneath the rear wheels, apparently after getting stuck in the terrain.

It was unclear exactly where she was found, or how far she had strayed from the vehicle.

“She would have covered a lot of ground in that time as she tried to make her way out of there,” Glynn said.

The backpacker was taken to Beacon “in quite a fragile condition”, then flown to Perth for medical treatment.

“She doesn’t appear to have any serious injuries. She obviously has a lot of significant minor injuries,” Glynn said, adding that Wilga would receive medical attention.

“Hopefully, once she recovers, a better assessment can be made.”

Wilga’s family has been notified, police said.

“It’s a really good outcome,” Glynn told reporters.

“We are constantly involved in these sorts of situations and it’s delightful, obviously, when you get an outcome like this. It makes everything, all the effort, worthwhile — absolutely.”

Police say she had spent two years backpacking around the country, and was working at mine sites in Western Australia.

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