Living off wine and candy might not be nutritionally sound, but it did help one woman survive the elements. A Melbourne woman stranded in the Australian bush apparently survived off that exact combination for five days, according to a police press release.
The 48-year-old, who was identified as Lillian Ip according to 9News Australia, had been traveling last week in a densely forested region in southeastern Australia when she became stranded. The announcement by the Victoria police department explains that Lillian was originally en route to Dartmouth Dam when she hit a dead end at Yankee Point Track. While attempting to turn around, her car became stuck in mud, and she didn’t have cell reception to make an emergency call. The remote road is located some 60 kilometers (37 miles) away from the nearest town.
When her friends and family didn’t hear from her on April 30, they contacted authorities.
As Ip had been anticipating a short venture, she didn’t pack any food with her. She did, however, have a bottle of wine and a few lollipops, as police sergeant Martin Torpey says. A police helicopter spotted Ip from overhead and reported her location to officers on the ground.
“The only liquid Lillian, who doesn’t drink, had with her was a bottle of wine she had bought as a gift for her mother so that got her through,” Torpey says in the release. “After being lost in the bush for five days, she was extremely relieved and grateful to see us and we were just as happy to see her.” Upon rescue, Ip was transported to a hospital and treated for dehydration.
In an interview with 9News Australia, Ip joked that she had only two things on her mind while being rescued: “First thing that came to mind was water and a cigarette.”
