A 15-year-old girl has miraculous survived after getting lost in the in the Russian Artic for more than two weeks.
Svetlana Evai managed to avoid brown bears and polar wolves as she wandered alone in the tundra, and lived on water and unripe berries.
A rescue team arrived on the remote Gydan Peninsula – one of the most remote spots in the world – after three days.
But she was not found until 12 days later by a rescue team, which included her uncle, Ivan Eva – even though she was discovered no more than seven miles from her family’s encampment.
Svetlana Evai lived on water and unripe berries as she wandered aimlessly around the tundra
The schoolgirl’s survival has been hailed as a ‘miracle’ by doctors.
Doctors said she was in a ‘grave’ condition and suffering from exposure when she was found but now say there is ‘no threat to her life’ after her ordeal.
From a nomadic family of reindeer herders, Svetlana got lost and disoriented on a four mile walk from her summer camp to visit her brother.
Svetlana got lost in the tundra (pictured) on a four mile walk from her summer camp to visit her brother
A rescue team arrived on the remote Gydan Peninsula after three days
It took another 12 days to locate her, even though she was no more than seven miles from her family’s encampment when she was eventually found
Hope had been running out for finding her alive with night temperatures dipping to freezing point in the late summer.
Her family feared she had been attacked by brown bears which were seen roaming in the region.
The Siberian Times reported, her aunt Irina Yar said when her uncle found her she was ‘walking towards him’.
‘When she went missing, people were worried because the bears are roaming very close,’ said one source.
She was airlifted to hospital by a search helicopter.
The girl survived on wild cranberries, black and red currents, and cloudberries – which were mostly unripe.
The Gydan Peninsula is one of the most remote spots in the world
Svetlana got lost and disoriented on a four mile walk from her summer camp to visit her brother
Senior doctor Alexander Bukharov – an expert in polar survival – said it was a ‘miracle’ she had been found alive
Svetlana (centre) was initially reported to be in a ‘grave’ condition but doctors later stressed there was ‘no threat to her life’
Despite suffering from exposure medics said ‘her vital organs are safe’ and ‘there is no threat to her life’.
‘Her blood pressure and heart beat are stable,’ said Eldar Faradjev, chief doctor of Tazovsky central hospital.
During her ordeal, temperatures veered from almost freezing at night to a high of 27C.
But she got wet in the thawing permafrost, suffering leg and knee injuries from crawling.
She was ‘constantly trying to find her way back’ but was unable to do so.
Svetlana (pictured) was constantly trying to find her way back’ but was unable to do so
Senior doctor Alexander Bukharov – an expert in polar survival – said it was a ‘miracle’ she had been found alive.
Head of the search Vitaly Pavlyuchkov said: ‘It helped that there was a lot of water in the tundra, so she had no problem drinking.
‘The Gydan tundra is soaked with water.
‘When you walk along the tundra in summer you are almost knee-deep….
‘She ate berries, and they are not completely ripe at this time.’