Missing Woman Found After Six-Day Ordeal in Australia’s Snowy Mountains

Emergency teams located Lovisa Sjoberg, who had been missing for six days in the Snowy Mountains, suffering from a suspected snake bite and other injuries after extensive search efforts.

A six-day search in Australia’s Snowy Mountains culminated in the rescue of Lovisa Sjoberg, a 48-year-old photographer found "dazed and injured" by emergency services. Sjoberg, who often explores Kosciuszko National Park to capture images of its wild horses, went missing after she drove into the area for photography on October 21. Her worries escalated when a car rental service reported her car was overdue, and authorities later found the vehicle abandoned and unlocked.

The New South Wales (NSW) Police initiated a large-scale search that involved sniffer dogs, firefighters, park rangers, and a helicopter equipped with infrared technology. Despite the efforts, the search faced challenges due to the rugged terrain and rapidly dropping temperatures, which reached zero degrees Celsius at night. Public appeals were made to locate Sjoberg as her absence prolonged without any contact.

On Sunday, she was discovered on the Nungar Creek Trail in Kiandra by a National Parks and Wildlife Service officer. According to Superintendent Toby Lindsay, Sjoberg had been navigating through tough bushland for several days and reported being bitten by a copperhead snake four days prior to her rescue. The copperhead, despite being generally shy, possesses potent neurotoxic venom that can be deadly without intervention.

Fortunately, Sjoberg was treated for dehydration, a rolled ankle, and the snake bite at the scene and has since been transferred to the hospital, where she is reported to be in stable condition. Superintendent Lindsay expressed relief at her survival, stating, “she's very fortunate to be alive… she obviously went through a tough time.” Despite the ordeal, Sjoberg is now reportedly “happy to be alive.”