Australia: Woman survives five days in the bush – with lollipops and wine

rescue
Woman survives five days in the Australian bush – with lollipops and wine

A woman got lost in the Australian outback – seriously, she was discovered five days later. She secured her survival with lollipops and wine, although she doesn’t actually drink alcohol at all.

A 48-year-old woman, dubbed “Lilian” by police, was driving her car in the Australian bush for a short day trip. But the day trip turned into an adventure that could have ended badly. According to the police in the state of Victoria, the woman got lost: she landed in a dead end, tried to turn around, but her car got stuck in the mud. The nearest town was 60 kilometers away.

So the Australian was trapped in the outback – and had to hold out there for five days until help came. Contact with the outside world was not possible because there was no mobile phone reception at the remote location. And because of health problems, the 48-year-old was also unable to set off on foot. Lucky in misfortune: There was a bottle of wine and some lollipops in her car and – she had packed them as food for the trip.

Lollipops and wine became lifesavers

This meager ration probably saved Lilian’s life – even though she doesn’t actually drink any alcohol on a daily basis. The bottle was intended as a gift for her mother. But now the wine was “the only liquid” she had available, explained Martin Torpey, head of the local police station: “She got through it.” Torpey continued: “It was very sensible of her to stay with her car and not go deeper into the bush. That helped the police find her.” With the nearest town so far away, trying to get help on foot could have been fatal.

After a few days, Lilian’s family reported her missing and the police began searching. A helicopter finally located her near her car and piloted a police car to the spot. The police published footage of the helicopter on Facebook – you can see Lilian waving her arms wildly to draw attention to herself. Officers found Lilian severely weakened and frozen through. She had tried using her car’s heater to keep warm on the cold nights. Of course, the missing driver immediately asked for water – and for a cigarette.

Sources: Victoria Police / Eyewatch – Wodonga Police Service Area on Facebook