Woman Missing 12 Years Found Living In Wood!

[helixpteron]

A German woman, missing for 12 years has been discovered, living in a wood in Switzerland!

News report link:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gwUTZEw_hs915aO-onKKtz-k0h4AD95QD1EG0

Link with photo of the camp:

http://www.backpacker.com/blogs/682

 

[firecrest]

wow. But look how she is instantly treated as crazy and social services are looking to "place her in a community setting" Even if she did have a mental illness, which I doubt, she is clearly doing fine on her own, I say leave her or just move her on.

 

[Mooseman1]

I agree firecrest, likes she's going to be happ in a modern apartment or being looked after by SS. let the women be or fined her a nice little cabin if you wants it. Fantastic story.

 

[addo]

Blimey! Good on her.

 

[wicca]

The local forest Ranger is obviously a switched on 'ol kiddie..she'd only been there a year..

 

[Walks with dogs]

Fair play to her!

 

[Shewie]

Stealth camping at it`s finest, I can see Ray making an episode about her in his next series.

I sure she had her reasons for getting off the grid though

 

[saddle_tramp]

i dont get why this is a story?? if some english guy goes missing and turns up sleeping rough in london 12yrs later, it hardly warrants telling! only difference here is that shes turned up camped in a wood.

 

[Shewie]

i dont get why this is a story?? if some english guy goes missing and turns up sleeping rough in london 12yrs later, it hardly warrants telling! only difference here is that shes turned up camped in a wood.

Yeah good point Saddle Tramp, kids and adults go missing in this country every week and they rarely make the news. Maybe it`s just not as common in Switzerland and the press over there have made a big hooha about it.

 

[Karl5]

wow. But look how she is instantly treated as crazy and social services are looking to "place her in a community setting" Even if she did have a mental illness, which I doubt, she is clearly doing fine on her own, I say leave her or just move her on.

Well, she seems not to have all her marbles.
Upon leaving Germany, she said she wanted to see the Pope. Talking to her now, she said her leaving Germany had nothing to do with the Pope. She now says she left Germany because she is "on a mission" which apparently has brought her to (at least) Italy, Austria and Switzerland. Apparently this "mission" is more or less finished now, so she's decided she can move on.
What this "mission" is/contains, she hasn't told anyone yet.
The only reason the landowners wants her off their land is that there are too many TV- and newspaper-teams roaming the woods now, scaring game and trampling down plants.

/ Karl

 

[Cobweb]

Good for her, it's a shame they found her. It would be pretty cool if Ray did do a programme on her!

 

[Walks with dogs]

I've got mixed views on her having all her marbles , social services etc.

She seems to have done Ok for the last few years fending for herself and presumably is happy with her lifestyle, marbles or not . She doesn't seem to have harmed anyone.

If she was put into some "care in the community" type programme or an institution, she would still be bereft of some marbles and probably miserable.

Lets club together and buy her a bit of German forest.

 

[bushcraftbob]

Wasn't there a chap living in some woods near Oxford at some stage? And he still commuted to work everyday in London and returned to the wood every evening? Im sure there was a tv news article on him, or perhaps I was dreaming it ??

 

[xylaria]

I don't know what the law in switzerland is like, but in britain it would quite hard to qualify her either as being a danger to herself or others, or demonstrating that she is incapable of looking after herself. Saying that it wouldn't stop some do gooder in authority trying to do what they think is best for her. I really hope that doesn't happen.

Wolverhampton had a old bloke that lived on the central reservation of the ring road for many years. The Sikh temple looked after him as they would any Indian sadhu as he demonstrated a life without an attachment to material needs. From John the baptist, to Buddhas in disguise there is something in this woman's life of nomadic hermitage that would be perfectly acceptable in a community with a spiritual dimension. It would be the greatest shame if modern Europe can't find an acceptable space for the batty woman who lives in the woods.

Crikey when i get to forty i might join her road 12 years, I certainly have days when running away and living in the woods on my own seems a perfectly sane option.

 

[Sainty]

I agree firecrest, likes she's going to be happ in a modern apartment or being looked after by SS. let the women be or fined her a nice little cabin if you wants it. Fantastic story.

I've got to say, even for the germans, that seems a bit draconian!!

 

[Shambling Shaman]

I've got to say, even for the germans, that seems a bit draconian!!

Dam you got there first.

Every one makes valid points, Its an interesting story ether way. If she has lived off the land all this time then fair play.

 

[John Fenna]

I certainly have days when running away and living in the woods on my own seems a perfectly sane option.

One of the sanest options around for a lot of folk!
I too think of taking that step quite often......

 

[Karl5]

If she has lived off the land all this time then fair play.

She's mainly been living of the land in the summer and autumn.
During winter and spring, she's been living of stored stuff plus what she could/must buy for money given to her by friendly bypassers (there are hiking routes inthe area) and farmers in the area.
She claims she's never hunted.

Again, the reason the landowners wants her off their land is not lady herself. It's the darned TV crews and newspaper crews invading the land for her story, scaring wild and domesticated animals alike and trampling down plants.
Dam those news wolfpacks...

/ Karl

 

[sandsnakes]

My fear for her would be if they want to keep her in a 'nice institution' they would probably have to sedate her to make her remain. That would be the greatist sadness, a person who has not placed any financial pressure on society around her, forced to be a burden to the community that takes her in. That and the loss of the sense of personal freedom.

I would love to know what kit she used sleeping bag etc, etc.

Sandsnakes

 

[Limaed]

Hey Xylaria

I grew up near Wolves and remember that old guy who lived on the central reservation. Whatever happened to him? He seemed pretty scary! ( Still I was only about 8!)
Ed