Croatian police try to solve identity of woman with memory loss

The English-speaking woman, thought to be in her 60s cannot remember her identity or where she came from. Photo / Croatian Police

Croatian police said Tuesday they are still working to establish the identity of a woman with no recollection of who she is or where she came from before she ended up on a northern Adriatic Sea island.

Police told The Associated Press they are searching the terrain and conducting interviews with residents and tourists to see if anyone has information about the woman discovered Sept. 12 on the island of Krk.

"A number of tips received from citizens in Croatia and from abroad about the identity of the person are being checked and investigated," police said in an email.

Croatian media have reported that the woman communicated in English and that locals found her sitting on a jagged rock in a remote part of the island that is inhabited by bears. She did not have identification documents or a cellphone with her, reports said.

An unidentified woman who was found on the Adriatic island of Krk with no recollection of who she is or where she came from. Photo / Croatian Mountain Rescue Service, AP

Police have released a photo showing a blond woman of about 60 years with blue eyes. They said that when found, she was dressed in a hooded dark blue shirt with white stripes, black trousers, sneakers and a pink hat.

The English speaking tourist was found crying "help!" but as to how she got there remains a mystery.

"There is no life or animals except maybe wild boars or bears which know how to swim to here in search of food, but this is a rarity because there is no food, nothing," a local told Croatian news site 24Sata.

"A woman that age certainly could not swim that distance, it needs exceptional strength."

One fisherman whose wife had spoken with the woman had identified an accent that could be "Scottish", reported Total Croatia News.

The case has drawn attention both in Croatia and internationally. With its stunning coastline and islands, Croatia is one of the most popular European tourism destinations and frequented each year by millions of tourists from all over the world.

The island of Krk, Croatia is only accessible by boat and home to wild bears. Photo / David Gabric, Unsplash

Local Croatian rescue services have said that the unknown woman had spent the night at the sea shore and was found "exhausted and with light injuries and disoriented."

The woman has since been transferred to a hospital in the town of Rijeka. Police described her condition in the email to the AP as "stable" and said that Croatian social services will take over once she is released from hospital care.

-Associated Press with additional reporting