Carolina Wilga: German backpacker ‘wheeled into hospital’ after arriving back home
Backpacker Carolina Wilga is back home in Germany after enjoying the comforts of business class flights from Perth.
German newspaper BILD reported that the 26-year-old touched down at Dusseldorf Airport via a stop-over in Dubai on Sunday afternoon — after a 20-hour journey from Perth.
Ms Wilga was assisted by medical personnel in business class during the plane journey.
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She was met by a nurse who, with the assistance of bodyguards, helped Ms Wilga into a wheelchair. A man was seen carrying an orange trekking backpack towards Ms Wilga.
Speculation is mounting that Ms Wilga may have signed an exclusive deal to tell her story to a German television network.
The backpacker, who survived nearly two weeks lost in the West Australian outback, farewelled Perth in a heartwarming Instagram post at the weekend.
“Reunion with the ocean and a great goodbye to Perth with loooots of hugs ❤️ love you all,” she captioned the since deleted post.
She shared several photos of her time in the hospital — at Cottesloe Beach with friends and last Monday’s front page of The West Australian that featured her ordeal.
Ms Wilga was lost for 12 days in a remote part of the Wheatbelt earlier this month, sparking a missing persons search and widespread community concern for her wellbeing.
She had last been seen on June 29, travelling through Beacon, after a land and air search, her bogged Misubishi Delica van was found by police.
She later explained she had banged her head and left left her vehicle, surviving by drinking water from puddles and sleeping in a cave.
A day after her vehicle was located, an exhausted and dehydrated Ms Wilga was found by local Tania French on a remote stretch of road near Bimbijy.
After she met with police, the young traveller was flown to Perth and admitted to Fiona Stanley Hospital traumatised and 12kg lighter.
Ms Wilga was discharged on Wednesday after five days recovering in hospital.
Originally published on The West Australian
