On a Mission

A German woman missing for 12 years was found living In a Swiss forest with only a tarp and umbrella for shelter.

The discovery in Switzerland of the 52-year-old German woman, whose name has not been released, was revealed by Bern police overnight .

She was spotted by a hiker in the forest near Bolligen after years of dodging rangers and walkers.

The woman was reported missing in 1997 in a village near Potsdam, outside Berlin.

Bolligen's Mayor Rudolf Burger said the woman "answered our questions and told us she didn't want any contact with her family."

She conversed normally, but she also spoke of a mission that she had to fulfill, Burger added, while declining to elaborate.

Backpackers Ted Alvarez adds some good snark.

If her mission was to test her long-term, ultralight stealth-camping abilities, I'd say, 'mission accomplished, lady.'