For most people surviving a a fall from a cliff would be the hard part. But for a stranded hiker it was only a the beginning of a three week fight for survival.
When she became lost in the Sierra Nevada mountains 28-year-old Georgia hiker Tiffany Slaton had to rely on her own will power and gumption. Fortunately, she managed to survive despite authorities writing her off as likely dead. The hiker had gone ona three-day solo trip to Shaver and Huntington Lakes in the region at the end of April.
Fast forward several days, and she was missing, according to the Fresno County Sheriff's Office. Her family had become worried when they didn't hear from her. Meanwhile, Slaton survived the elements by fighting off animals, drinking melted snow, and scavenging for leeks. The weather, which included multiple major snow storms, made survival difficult for her.
Hiker Survives Fall Off Cliff
"Nature is quite terrifying. Once you start finding things that are scary for you, you do your best to keep moving and get over it," said Slaton. As her supplies dwindled, Slaton only had a lighter and a knife by the end of her three week stay. Her tale for survival began when she fell off a cliff. The resulting impact caused her to lose consciousness and injure her legs. She had to make splint for one leg and pop her knee cap back into place on the other.
Fortunately, a miracle came when she stumbled across the Vermilion Valley Resort. Owner Christopher Gutierrez had left the establishment open during the off-season in case someone needed help. He later found her.
"As soon as we start making our way there, here comes Tiffany," Gutierrez said. "She pops out, didn't say a word, just ran up and all she wanted was a hug. Man, it was a pretty surreal moment and that's when I realized who this was."
As a result of her stay in nature, she suffered damage to her eyes but is otherwise okay. She also lost 10 pounds as well. But the hiker said that she would rather "live than have to deal with my parents seeing that I failed in such a dumb way."
