A 24-year-old Winnipeg woman has been found safe after surviving for nine days in British Columbia’s wilderness.

 

Kara Stoyanowski disappeared more than a week ago near Peachland, B.C. Dressed in only a shirt, shorts, and flip flops, she says she survived on creek water and mushrooms until finding her way out of the wild.

 

Stoyanowski was driving with a friend on June 9 when their van got stuck in a stream bed. They split up, and she followed a creek uphill.

 

 

From there, police said, she appeared to get lost.

 

"She maybe got herself kind of twisted around and hunkered down for a few days hoping to be found," RCMP Cpl. Joe Duncan said.

 

Eventually, Duncan said, Stoyanowski decided she needed to find her own way out, and managed to get to a road. Two men checking on livestock found her there.

 

Stoyanowski was taken to hospital, and found to have only minor injuries.

"It is remarkable to say the least that after nine days she comes out, and is in good condition," Duncan said.

 

Stoyanowski appeared on the road just as search and rescue crews scaled back their efforts to find her.

 

Stan Wieczorek of Central Okanagan Search and Rescue said Stoyanowski's remarkable survival is proof that it is never too late to find a missing person.

 

"Don’t ever give up," he said.

 

With a report by CTV Vancouver’s Kent Molgat