A woman found in the NSW Snowy Mountains 12 days after her disappearance was “dazed” and “lucky to be alive”, say police, who warned others not to go hiking without telling authorities.
Lovisa “Kiki” Sjoberg, 48, was found on a remote fire trail in Kosciuszko National Park at 4:50 PM on Sunday, suffering from a snakebite, an injured ankle and extreme dehydration.
Monaro Police District Chief Inspector Toby Lindsay praised searchers for the massive hunt “in tough conditions”, which included rescue bomb disposal, volunteers from the rural fire brigade, mounted police, planes and a helicopter.
He said when she was spotted on the Nungar Creek Trail near Kiandra, she was “walking in bushland, dazed and injured” and indicated that she had been “bitten by a snake four days earlier and had rolled her ankle and was dehydrated.”
“Basically she was lucky to be alive and was having quite a hard time,” Supt Lindsay said, adding that anyone planning to go for a walk, like Ms Sjoberg, must complete a ‘travel intention form’ and register with police must register.
Lovisa ‘Kiki’ Sjoberg was found on a remote fire trail in Kosciuszko National Park at 4.50pm on Sunday after being missing for 12 days
After a National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) officer found her, paramedics called to the scene treated her for exposure and the snakebite before taking her to Cooma District Hospital where she was recovering and in a stable condition .
The award-winning photographer and mad conservationist was spotted driving her gray Mitsubishi Outlander rental car on the morning of October 15, although her last contact with anyone else was on October 8.
The alarm for Ms Sjoberg, from nearby Jindabyne and who has photographed for Harper’s Bizarre magazine, was sounded a week ago when car rental staff realized her rental car was six days late.
It was found unlocked and abandoned near Kiandra courthouse, 90km north-west of the Snowy Mountains capital Cooma.
Although she was familiar with the local mountain landscape, concerned friends said Ms Sjoberg’s disappearance was out of character.
They have expressed their relief and joy on Facebook posts since the news of her recovery.
Police and NPWS officers had been searching for hiking trails in the six-square-kilometer national park, known for its waterfalls and limestone gorges.
Lovisa “Kiki” Sjoberg, 48, did not return her rental car and had not been seen since October 15, but was finally found on Sunday afternoon, dehydrated and possibly suffering from a snakebite
Michelle and Ian Brown posted photos of the search in Kosciuszko National Park (above) for their friend and wild horse conservation colleague and personally searched the area alongside police and NPWS officers.
Her rental car was discovered unlocked near the remains of the old settlement in Kiandra, an abandoned gold mining town.
Local racecourse manager Peter Cochran, who was involved in the search, said she often ventured into the wilderness to take photos of brumbies because she was a “devout supporter” of their cause.
He said locating Ms Sjoberg was the result of an “intense” effort by volunteers, community members and officials.
Police officers including from the Horse and Dog Units, SES, National Parks and Wildlife Service, Rural Fire Service and a Surf Life Saving Helicopter were all part of the search efforts.
‘The undergrowth is incredibly thick… you could drive within five meters without seeing (a person) because the regrowth from fires in 2020 has left an incredible amount of undergrowth there, dense undergrowth that is a job to get through drive,” Mr Cochran told ABC Radio South East NSW.
Fellow brumby photographers and wild horse campaigners Michelle Maree Brown and Ian Brown regularly warnings posted on social media and said that Ms. Sjoberg “knows the country and walks in the KNP all the time.”
Ms Sjoberg has been a local hero in the ‘save the brumbies’ movement since she found and photographed the bodies of a gang of 11 wild horses.
Kiki Sjoberg’s unlocked rental car was found in the heritage village of Kiandra, but there was no sign of the 48-year-old for 12 days until a national park officer found her on a remote trail
Ms Sjoberg found and photographed the bodies of a gang of eleven wild horses that had been mysteriously shot dead in September 2022
The gang was mysteriously shot dead in September 2022 and consisted of a family led by a brown stallion, the Browns named Arrow Boy, and including a pregnant mare.
Ms. Sjoberg’s recognized work includes photographs she took of Snow Mountain landscapes covered in red smoke during the 2019-2020 wildfire season.