A lady who went missing earlier this month in the rocky highlands of southeastern Australia has been recovered alive, according to police, and is in the hospital after suffering what investigators suspect to be a snake bite. Officials stated that the woman was stable and recovering from her injuries. The woman has been identified as Lovisa “Kiki” Sjoberg, a photographer who frequently visited Kosciuszko National Park to photograph the region’s wild horses.
The 48-year-old was reported missing to officers from the Monaro Police District near Kosciuszko National Park on October 21, prompting a nationwide search, according to the New South Wales Police Force. The enormous park is recognized for its rugged alpine terrain, spanning 2,700 square miles.
According to authorities, search teams and law enforcement established a command center in Kiandra, an abandoned gold mining town in the national park’s Snowy Mountains region. Officers from multiple agencies collaborated with Australia’s National Parks and Wildlife Service, the Rural Fire Service, and members of the public to search the area, with assistance from police dogs and a rescue helicopter.
A parks and wildlife officer discovered the woman just before 5 p.m. local time Sunday on the Nungar Creek path near Kiandra, a halt along the trekking route.”She was treated at the scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics for exposure and what is believed to be a snake bite, before she was taken to Cooma District Hospital in a stable condition,” the police announced.
Before his discovery, Sjoberg was last seen driving a rented car in the park on October 15, according to the BBC. On Oct. 21, the rental firm reported the incident to authorities after finding the car had not moved in six days and was overdue for return. According to the Australian broadcaster and BBC News, Monaro Police District Superintendent Toby Lindsay stated that Sjoberg was “dazed and injured” and “quite unwell” when they found her. “She advises she was bitten by a copperhead snake four days before she was discovered and also rolled her ankle and was suffering from dehydration,” Lindsey added, saying that the woman had been “wandering” for days through rugged wilderness terrain.
According to the Australian Museum, copperhead snakes contain potent venom, and “a bite from a grownup of any of the species may be potentially fatal without medical assistance.” “She’s, in fact, very fortunate to be alive … she went through a tough time,” Lindsay informed us. After the woman’s rescue, the superintendent stated she was in “reasonable condition” and “happy to be alive.”
