The Swedish woman was reported missing after she never returned the car she rented in Australia. After a major rescue effort, she was found in a national park after twelve days missing, snakebitten and very dehydrated.
– She is incredibly lucky to have survived. She has obviously had a really tough time, says police officer Toby Lindsay according to the BBC.
The woman from Stockholm has lived in Australia for over 20 years and is an award-winning photographer. She has several times hiked and photographed in the Kosciuszko National Park area of southeastern Australia. But this time something went wrong.
The Swede had rented a car to get out to the national park again, to hike and photograph brumby horses. Six days later, the lessor realized that the car had never been returned. It was the start of a massive rescue effort with ground vehicles, helicopters, airplanes and horses. Voluntary search groups also participated in the search.
– It’s a huge area, like looking for a needle in a haystack, says Inspector Paul Campbell-Allen, local response leader to The Guardian.
One of the volunteers who participated in the search for the woman describes the area where they searched as very difficult to access.
– The vegetation is incredibly dense. You probably can’t see more than five meters in front of you, he tells Australians ABC.
Missing for twelve days
The rescue operation continued for six days after the car rental company alerted the police. In difficult terrain, in the Snowy Mountains, the Swede was finally found – twelve days after she left with the car. She was chilled and very dehydrated in the wilderness, with a broken foot and snake bite.
The woman was later taken to hospital and her condition is said to be stable.
– She is incredibly lucky to have survived. She has obviously had a really tough time, says police officer Toby Lindsay according to the BBC.
It is unclear how she survived
It is unclear how the woman managed to survive according to the operation leader Paul Campbell-Allen.
– What was not known is what equipment she had, whether she had food or water. There’s running water up there, that’s probably the most important thing. She was very lucky to survive, he says.
According to the task leader, there was great relief when the woman was found.
– I was close to tears. It was a hell of an emotional relief.