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Western Australia police are ruling out foul play as they continue searching for the missing German backpacker Carolina Wilga, saying they believe she may have walked into inhospitable bush after her van was bogged.
Police on Thursday found Wilga’s abandoned Mitsubishi van about 150km from Beacon in the Karroun Hill area, which has been described as remote and inhospitable country.
“The police air wing officers were able to identify that the vehicle was bogged and was subject to extensive efforts by her to recover the vehicle,” said WA police’s Martin Glynn.
“She’d used Maxtrax and pieces of wood to try to free the vehicle from its location, but unfortunately was unsuccessful.”
Police believe Wilga walked away from her vehicle once she was unable to free it.
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On Friday, police began a “reflex search” within a 300-metre radius of the vehicle to gather any evidence that may determine which direction Wilga then travelled.
“We’ve also commenced planning for tomorrow and for Sunday to work with our colleagues from the Department of Fire and Emergency Services and the State Emergency Service for the on-ground search,” Glynn said.
The 26-year-old last had contact with friends on 29 June after travelling through the towns of Toodyay and Dowerin, south-west of Beacon, earlier in the day.
Acting Insp Jessica Securo said that an inexperienced person could easily become lost in the remote location.
“The terrain is outback country and there are large, rocky outcrops,” she told ABC News on Friday.
“So although there’s a number of tracks, you can see how it would be easy to become lost or disorientated in that area if you didn’t know it well.”
Securo said Wilga’s vehicle was located at least about 35km from any main tracks.
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Police are using aircraft to search for Wilga due to the difficult terrain.
“The search has resumed in that Karroun Hill area. It will be concentrating around her vehicle and tracks that offshoot that area,” Securo said.
“Our aerial support is our best chances of finding her.”
Forensic officers are inspecting the van to determine why it was abandoned and what Wilga may have been able to carry with her after she left it.
“It appears that as she was driving, she’s likely to [have] become lost, and then the car has suffered mechanical issues … and [she] has potentially walked away from her vehicle,” Securo said.
She said that Wilga’s van was “self-sufficient” and that she had solar panels and water, but that the vehicle was mechanically unable to be used when it was found.
Police do not believe Wilga was the victim of foul play or met with any other person.
