For five long days, 48-year-old Lillian Ip was lost in the Australian “bush” – with only a bottle of wine and some sweets.
The emergency services managed to find her just when she was ready to give up.
– The first thing I thought of was water and a cigarette, she says to Australian 9News.
Last Sunday, 48-year-old Lillian Ip got into her car to take a trip through the dense “bush” in the Australian state of Victoria. The car ride quickly turned into a nightmare after Lillian drove the wrong way.
Not knowing where she was, Lillian Ip got stuck in deep mud. She quickly gave up trying to free her vehicle.
Lillian Ip, who doesn’t usually drink alcohol, only brought a bottle of wine to give her mother as a present and some sweets. For five whole days she was forced to stay in the car, without water and food, reports BBC.
“Thought I was going to die”
After a few days, Lillian had decided to give up. In an interview with Australian 9News she says that she wrote a farewell letter to her family.
– I thought I was going to die out there. My whole body shut down on Friday.
But on Friday, the emergency services managed to find her during a search operation. She was found about six miles from the nearest village and was in too poor a physical condition to walk on her own.
– The first thing I thought of was water and a cigarette. Thank God the police had a cigarette, she says.
After the dramatic days and the rescue effort, Lillian Ip was praised by the local police in the town of Wodonga.
– She used a lot of common sense by staying at her car and not wandering off into the bush, which made it easier for the police, says Police Sergeant Martin Torpey.
After being found in the bush, Lillian Ip was taken to the hospital due to dehydration. The BBC reports that this week she has been reunited with her family at home in Melbourne.