A woman missing for 12 days in the New South Wales Snowy Mountains has miraculously been found alive despite suffering a venomous snake bite and being “very dehydrated”. New South Wales Police said in a statement that Lovisa "Kiki" Sjoberg, 48, was found just before 5 p.m. local time Sunday in the Snowy Mountains region of Kosciuszko National Park after a huge multiagency search that involved two helicopters and dog teams. NSW Police said Lovisa Sjoberg was located on Sunday afternoon local time, suffering from a suspected snake bite, dehydration, and a rolled ankle.

Her rental was found unlocked and abandoned near Kiandra Courthouse, 90km from the Snowy Mountains capital, Cooma. Despite being wildlife photographers and familiar with the alpine landscape, her friends were extremely worried about Sjoberg’s disappearance, labelling it out of character. Over the next six days, an enormous search effort by foot, vehicle, horseback, plane, and helicopter, involving more than half a dozen different agencies and concerned locals- saw people scour the rugged countryside of the Snowy Mountains.

Then, at 4.50 pm on Sunday 27 October, Sjoberg was found by a National Parks and Wildlife Service officer on the Nungar Creek Trail at Kiandra. In the words of Supt Toby Lindsay, the commander of the Monaro police district, Sjoberg was “pretty fortunate to be alive”. She was taken to hospital in a stable condition. At night, temperatures dropped to below zero, the area experienced some rainfall over the week she was missing, and spring is a season when copperhead snakes, whose bites can kill a human, are very active in the area.

“The other thing that she’d face was the fact that she was on her own and loneliness will affect everybody if you’re in a remote area on your own for an extended period of time,” Cochran said. As Lovisa begins her recovery, she plans to share her story, hoping to inspire others to respect nature and prepare adequately for their outdoor adventures. Her miraculous survival against the odds will undoubtedly resonate with many, making her not just a survivor, but a symbol of hope and resilience.