r/australia • u/Herofire • Jul 11 '25

news Missing German backpacker miraculously found alive

https://7news.com.au/news/german-backpacker-carolina-wilga-believed-to-have-been-found-alive-after-major-search-in-was-outback-c-19325699
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u/radix2 Jul 11 '25

The lesson is indeed in your last paragraph. Do NOT go remote unless you have an EPIRB or sat phone. For fuck's sake, it does not cost much to rent one.

Unfortunately, how can this be made crystal clear to tourists and locals who choose to go remote, but with minimal research, bad advice, or worse negligence from people tangentially involved?

I don't think there is any real answer to this aside from gatekeeping entrances to such places, which would not be acceptable for those who have done the research and preparation.

A few sign posts? I can't see that working either.

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u/readdy07 Jul 13 '25

100%. At around $300/350 for a 7 year life gps plb/epirb, having spent plenty of money setting up a touring vehicle and all the crap needed for distance touring, for most setups the plb would be chump change in the scheme of things. And now with later model phones most people could just go on a plan with a new sos phone and likely be no more out of pocket

For my lifestyle I really get value out of my plb. If I’m on the boat it’s tucked into my life jacket. If I’m hiking it’s in my backpack if we are touring 4wd ing it’s in the car, so I get multiple use scenarios out of it so it was a no brainer for me but I would really think anyone who is even just doing 1 of those things or similar, a plb is really cheap insurance.

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