Missing woman found alive after snakebite in Australia's Snowy Mountains

Police said a woman found in a remote Australian mountain range after disappearing for almost two weeks was “dazed and unwell” but alive after suffering a snake bite in the remote wilderness.

New South Wales Police said in a statement that 48-year-old Lovisa “Kiki” Sjoberg was found shortly before 5pm local time on Sunday in the Snowy Mountains region of Kosciuszko National Park, following an extensive multi-agency search which involved two helicopters and dog teams.

She was last seen driving a rental car in the national park on October 15th. The search began when the car rental company told police that the vehicle had not been moved in six days and the rental agreement had expired.

Monaro Police District Superintendent Toby Lindsay said at a news conference on Monday that the woman was “dazed and injured” and “quite unwell,” the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

“She states that she was bitten by a copperhead snake four days before she was found and also twisted her ankle and suffered from dehydration,” he said. “We were very concerned about the missing woman and are very pleased that she was found safe and reasonably well.”

More than 30 people searched dense bushland every day, Lindsay added. Temperatures in the region have dropped as low as 32 degrees Fahrenheit.

Police said Sjoberg was treated at the scene by paramedics for exposure and a “suspected snake bite” before being taken to Cooma District Hospital in a stable condition.

The Australian Museum in Sydney said on its website that copperhead snakes have a powerful neurotoxic venom and that a bite can be fatal without medical attention.