A photographer found by authorities after going missing in the NSW Snowy Mountains for almost two weeks is being treated for a suspected snakebite.
Lovisa Sjoberg, 48, was on the Nungar Creek Trail in Kiandra shortly before 5pm on Sunday.
She had not been seen since October 15, when police believe she was seen driving a car in Kosciuszko National Park.
A National Parks and Wildlife official found Ms. Sjoberg on the Creek Trail, where she was immediately treated for a suspected snakebite.
She was taken to Cooma District Hospital in a stable condition.
Ms Sjoberg, also known as ‘Kiki’, was officially reported missing on October 21 when police launched an investigation into her whereabouts.
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.
Lovisa Sjoberg, who was missing in the Snowy Mountains for almost two weeks, has been found alive
Ms Sjoberg had not been seen since October 15 when she was spotted in Kosciuszko National Park
‘Kiki was a keen supporter of the brumby cause and photographed many of those horses that are now deceased, so it was undoubtedly an emotional strain on her and all of us.’
A number of Facebook groups were set up, where hundreds of people organized searches and shared information to solve the case.