Missing woman survives in woods for 5 days off bottle of wine, authorities say

WASHINGTON (TND) — A woman who was missing for five days in Australia after her car became bogged in mud survived off a bottle of wine and a few snacks, according to authorities.

Policeon Friday said their Air Wing rescued "Lillian"in dense bushland in Bright, a town in Victoria, Australia.

The 48-year-old went on a holiday to Bright last week and when she didn’t make her daily call to check in with loved ones on 30 April, they raised the alarm," police noted in a news release.

Lillian was driving to Dartmouth Dam when she hit a dead-end road and realized she took a wrong turn, police said. She tried to turn around but her car got stuck in mud.

She didn't have cell service, so she couldn't call for help.

Emergency services carried out extensive searches of the Mitta Mitta, Wodonga, Bright and Albury areas over the past week however were unable to find any sign of Lillian," according to the release. "Yesterday afternoon the police Air Wing were conducting a sweep of the hilly terrain when they spotted Lillian’s car at the end of a dirt road in the Mitta Mitta bushland. A local police van was directed by the helicopter to her location where she was located safe and well."

Wodonga Police Station Sgt. Martin Torpey said Lillian was found nearly 40 miles away from the closest town. He said she couldn't walk to find help due to health issues, so she stayed with her car.

Torpey said she slept in her car at night and used the heater to keep her warm.

She used great common sense to stay with her car and not wander off into bushland, which assisted in police being able to find her,"Torpey noted in the release. “She was only planning a short-day trip so had only taken a couple of snacks and lollies with her but no water. The only liquid Lillian, who doesn’t drink, had with her was a bottle of wine she had bought as a gift for her mother so that got her through."

He added that she was taken to an area hospital, where she was treated for dehydration.

After being lost in the bush for five days, she was extremely relieved and grateful to see us and we were just as happy to see her," Torpey said.