Woman found alive after surviving snake bite, days in wilderness

A female who vanished earlier this period successful nan rugged mountains of southeastern Australia has been recovered alive, constabulary said, and  she is hospitalized aft sustaining what authorities judge was a snake bite. Officials said nan female was unchangeable and recovering from her injuries.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation and BBC News, a CBS News partner, person identified nan female arsenic Lovisa "Kiki" Sjoberg, a photographer who visited Kosciuszko National Park often to return pictures of chaotic horses successful nan region. 

The 48-year-old was reported missing to officers from nan Monaro Police District adjacent Kosciuszko National Park connected Oct. 21, prompting a wide hunt operation, nan New South Wales Police Force said. The monolithic parkland is known for its chaotic alpine scenery that covers astir 270,000 quadrate miles of land, which is astir nan size of nan authorities of Texas.

Search teams and rule enforcement group up a bid station successful Kiandra, an abandoned golden mining municipality successful a distant portion of nan nationalist park's Snowy Mountain region, constabulary said. Officers from respective different agencies worked pinch Australia's National Parks and Wildlife Service, Rural Fire Service and members of nan nationalist to hunt nan area, pinch further thief from constabulary dogs and a rescue helicopter.

A parks and wildlife serviceman recovered nan female conscionable earlier 5 p.m. section clip Sunday connected nan Nungar Creek way astatine Kiandra, which is simply a extremity on nan hiking route. 

"She was treated astatine nan segment by NSW Ambulance paramedics for vulnerability and what is believed to beryllium a snake bite, earlier she was taken to Cooma District Hospital successful a unchangeable condition," constabulary successful a statement.

Before being found, Sjoberg was past seen driving a rental car successful nan parkland connected Oct. 15, nan BBC reported. The rental institution flagged nan incident to constabulary connected Oct. 21 aft noticing nan car had not moved for six days and was overdue for return.

A position of nan Snowy Mountains successful Kosciuszko National Park connected June 25, 2016. Martin Ollman / Getty Images

Monaro Police District Superintendent Toby Lindsay told media that Sjoberg was "dazed and injured" and "quite unwell" erstwhile they yet located her, according to nan Australian broadcaster and BBC News.

"She advises she was bitten by a copperhead snake 4 days earlier being recovered and besides rolled her ankle and she was suffering from dehydration," Lindsey said, noting that nan female had been "wandering" for days done challenging bushland terrain. 

According to nan Australian Museum, copperhead snakes person powerful venom and "a wound from an big of immoderate of nan type whitethorn beryllium perchance fatal without aesculapian assistance."

"She's successful truth very fortunate to beryllium live ... she evidently went done a reliable time," Lindsay added. The superintendent said aft nan woman's rescue that she was successful a "reasonable condition" and "happy to beryllium alive."

CBS News contacted nan New South Wales Police Force for much information.

In:
• Australia
• Missing Person