Surviving in the Australian outback: Wine and candy save the life of a woman lost for five days

Lillian Yip, a 48-year-old woman who normally abstains from alcohol, was forced to use wine and candy as sources of food and liquid to survive in the Australian wilderness for five days.

This was reported by the Evening Standard.

on April 30, Ip got lost in the lush forests of Mitta Mitta, in northeastern Victoria, as she headed towards Dartmouth Lake and took a wrong turn. From then on she spent five days in the wilderness until she was discovered by air police.

In an interview with Australian television channel 9News, Ip said: The first thing that came to mind was water and a cigarette. By Friday my body was starting to shut down.

In her desperate attempt to survive, Ip was forced to drink wine, which she had taken with her as a gift for her mother, as well as a juice packet and some lollipops. She also wrote a farewell note to her family, fearing she might die from the cold.

Police say that due to her health condition, Ip remained in her car the entire time, which helped in her discovery. She was spotted by the air police.

After being rescued, Yip was hospitalised for treatment of dehydration. She has now returned safely home to Melbourne.

Wodong police sergeant Martin Torpy, commenting on the situation, said: "Although Lilian does not drink, the only liquid she had with her was a bottle of wine intended as a gift for her mother, which ended up saving her life. Her decision to stay by the car and not drive into the bush demonstrated common sense and helped the police find her. She also sensibly used a car heater to keep her warm on chilly nights. When she was found five days later, she was incredibly relieved and grateful and we shared her joy."

Yip amazingly demonstrated survival skills, keeping calm in an extremely difficult situation and using the resources available to her to keep her alive. Her story is a reminder of the importance of basic survival knowledge in extreme conditions.