Mary-Anne Goossens, the woman who was lost for 18 days in rough mountain terrain in Southern Spain has been found safe and sound and is recuperating in a hospital on the Costa del Sol. What the Dutch and Spanish papers say.

The Telegraaf, which followed the whole story from start to finish, reports today that Mary Anne kept herself alive by eating grass and rosemary and by drinking water from the river. It quotes a doctor as saying that ‘this might well have contributed to her relatively good condition since the water is rich in minerals’. The paper also reports that Mary-Anne will be undergoing further tests before being allowed to fly home.
Miracle
The puzzle of Mary-Anne’s perilous adventure is slowly being pieced together. El Sur, the province of Málaga’s main newspaper, has the most comprehensive report and brands the rescue ‘a miracle’. It writes that Mary-Anne had decided to walk from tourist resort Nerja to the village of Frigiliana some six kilometres north when she missed a turning and got lost. She then followed the river Chíllar and ended up in a deep cleft near the source of the river.
Not being able to get out there was nothing she could do but protect herself, stuffing her clothes with esparto grass against the cold also managing to make mat of sorts to sleep on, the paper writes. How exactly Mary-Anne got to where she was finally found remains a mystery because even the Spanish mountain rescue service had trouble getting to her: ‘Getting there was hell’, the paper quotes one member of the service.
Locals commented that it was totally fortuitous that walkers had passed that way and heard Mary-Anne’s whistle because ‘that part of the river is not frequented much because of the difficult terrain.’
Ants
National paper El País spoke to resident Dutch doctor Bernadette Veeger who was one of the first to talk to Mary-Anne. According to her, Mary Anne ‘intended to eat ants but couldn’t make herself in the end’. Another source said ‘the thought of her two children kept her going.’
On line paper Veinte Minutos reports that Mary-Anne has been reunited with her children and that she is as well as can be expected after her ordeal.
Some criticism has been levelled at Mary-Anne as well. Although she was very wise in carrying a whistle it is not advisable to go walking alone, several readers’ comments pointed out.