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She survived in outback Australia for 5 days – on nothing but lollipops and wine

  • The 48-year-old, referred to by police only as Lillian, took a wrong turn in the remote bushland of Victoria state and became lost
  • She ‘used great common sense’ to stay with her car, police said, as she drank the only liquid she had with her – a bottle of wine for her mother

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The 48-year-old woman, named only as Lillian, waves to a police helicopter to attract its attention. Photo: Twitter/@VictoriaPolice
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A woman who was lost in the remote bushland of Victoria state, Australia, was safely rescued after surviving five days on lollipops and a bottle of wine, authorities said.

The 48-year-old woman, referred to by police only as Lillian, took a wrong turn trying to drive to Dartmouth Dam while on holiday.

After hitting a dead-end, her car became stuck while she was trying to turn around. There was no mobile phone service in the area, so she could not call for help.

Police officers arrive at the scene to help escort the lost woman back to safety. Photo: Twitter/@VictoriaPolice
Police officers arrive at the scene to help escort the lost woman back to safety. Photo: Twitter/@VictoriaPolice

After her loved ones didn’t hear from her, authorities embarked on an extensive search of the area for several days.

Aerial footage posted on Twitter by Victoria Police shows the moment authorities in a helicopter spotted her car in the hilly terrain as Lillian waved up to the camera.

“Lillian was found a good 60 kilometres away from the nearest town, and due to health issues, she was unable to try and walk for help, so stayed with her car,” Wodonga Police Station Sergeant Martin Torpey said in a statement, adding she had the “great common sense” not to “wander off”.

As she was only planning a short day trip, Lillian had “only taken a couple of snacks and lollies with her but no water”.

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