A German backpacker who survived more than a week alone in the remote Western Australian outback after a crash is now selling the vehicle that was at the centre of her harrowing ordeal.
From Survival to Sale: The Van's Next Chapter
Carolina Wilga, 26, has listed her 1995 Mitsubishi Delica on Facebook Marketplace in Perth for $5000, describing it as "ready for its next adventure". The listing comes more than five months after the van crashed and became bogged in the state's Wheatbelt region in July 2025, sparking an intense search and a remarkable tale of survival.
The vehicle, which has travelled 289,162 kilometres, is fitted with a built-in bed, fridge, kitchen, and solar panel, making it a self-contained travel setup. The advertisement acknowledges the van "needs some work", primarily an exhaust repair and attention to the shocks and suspension, but states other work has already been carried out.
Eleven Nights Alone in the Wilderness
The sale marks a symbolic end to a traumatic chapter for Ms Wilga. Her ordeal began when she lost control of the Delica, rolling down a slope and hitting her head. In a state of confusion from the impact, she wandered away from the vehicle, which contained her supplies of water, food, and clothing.
For the next 11 nights, she survived alone in the dense bushland near Beacon. She drank rainwater collected in puddles and took shelter in a cave. Her rescue came when local farmer Tania French spotted her. Ms Wilga was subsequently hospitalised for four nights at Fiona Stanley Hospital before being discharged on July 16, 2025. She returned to her family in Castrop-Rauxel, Germany, on July 20.
A Complex and Community-Driven Recovery
Retrieving the stranded van itself proved a significant challenge. When it became known that the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions was tasked with the recovery, local farmers stepped in to help. Bonnie Rock farmer Andrew Sprigg said the surrounding bush was so thick it took four days to reach and extract the vehicle, requiring a loader to clear a track.
"There’s no track... the police damaged their vehicles extensively getting down the track as it was," Mr Sprigg explained.
In a statement released after her rescue, Ms Wilga expressed profound gratitude to the West Australian community. "I am certain that I survived only thanks to this incredible outpouring of support," she said. She thanked police, searchers, medical staff, and her "rescuer and angel", Tania French.
Ms Wilga has since re-posted the van's sale listing to her private Instagram account, turning the page on an experience that tested her limits and captured the nation's attention.
