Wine and lollies the key to woman’s incredible bush survival

A woman has been found after she went missing for five days in the Victorian bushland with nothing but “a couple of snacks” and her “common sense”.

Lillian, 48, set off on what was meant to be a short day trip on Sunday, travelling through the dense bushland at Bright in Victoria’s High Country.

Incredible footage has revealed the moment she was found by emergency services on Friday during a search of the hilly terrain, after her car was spotted at the end of a dirt road in the Mitta Mitta bushland.

Lillian had been driving towards Dartmouth Dam on April 30 when she hit a dead-end at the close of Yankee Point Track.

Realising she had taken a wrong turn, she attempted to turn her car around, however it became bogged in mud.

Unable to call for help without any mobile reception and powerless to walk towards help due to health issues, Lillian was forced to stay with her car in the remote bush.

Police began extensive searches of the Mitta Mitta, Wodonga, Bright, and Albury areas after her family raised the alarm on April 30 having not received Lillian’s daily check-in call.

After spotting the 48-year-old, the police helicopter was able to direct a local police van to her location where she was found “safe and well”.

Wodonga Police Station sergeant Martin Torpey said Lillian was able to survive partly due to some gifts she had luckily stashed away in her vehicle.

“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,” sergeant Torpey said.

“She was only planning a short-day trip so had only taken a couple of snacks and lollies with her but no water.

“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.”

Unable to move her car, Lillian used its heater to keep her warm throughout the chilly nights.

Found about 60km from the nearest town, Lillian was “extremely relieved” to see police on Friday, who were “just as happy to see her”.

Lillian was taken to hospital to be treated for dehydration where she remains under observation.