Woman found "dazed and injured" after surviving snake bite and multiple days in the wilderness
A woman who disappeared earlier this month in the rugged mountains of southeastern Australia has been found alive, police said, and she is hospitalized after sustaining what authorities believe was a snake bite. Officials said the woman was stable and recovering from her injuries.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation and BBC News, a CBS News partner, have identified the woman as Lovisa "Kiki" Sjoberg, a photographer who visited Kosciuszko National Park often to take pictures of wild horses in the region.
The 48-year-old was reported missing to officers from the Monaro Police District near Kosciuszko National Park on Oct. 21, prompting a widespread search operation, the New South Wales Police Force said. The massive park is known for its wild alpine landscape that covers about 2,700 square miles of land.
Search teams and law enforcement set up a command post in Kiandra, an abandoned gold mining town in a remote part of the national park's Snowy Mountain region, police said. Officers from several different agencies worked with Australia's National Parks and Wildlife Service, Rural Fire Service and members of the public to search the area, with additional help from police dogs and a rescue helicopter.
A parks and wildlife officer found the woman just before 5 p.m. local time Sunday on the Nungar Creek trail at Kiandra, which is a stop along the hiking 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," police in a statement.
Before being found, Sjoberg was last seen driving a rental car in the park on Oct. 15, the BBC reported. The rental company flagged the incident to police on Oct. 21 after noticing the car had not moved for six days and was overdue for return.
Monaro Police District Superintendent Toby Lindsay told media that Sjoberg was "dazed and injured" and "quite unwell" when they finally located her, according to the Australian broadcaster and BBC News.
"She advises she was bitten by a copperhead snake four days before being found and also rolled her ankle and she was suffering from dehydration," Lindsey said, noting that the woman had been "wandering" for days through challenging bushland terrain.
According to the Australian Museum, copperhead snakes have powerful venom and "a bite from an adult of any of the species may be potentially fatal without medical assistance."
"She's in fact very fortunate to be alive ... she obviously went through a tough time," Lindsay added. The superintendent said after the woman's rescue that she was in a "reasonable condition" and "happy to be alive."
CBS News contacted the New South Wales Police Force for more information.
Editor's note: A previous version of this story gave an incorrect size for Kosciuszko National Park. It has since been corrected.