A hiker managed to survive more than three weeks in the California wilderness. But she didn't do it alone. Fortunately, she had a little miracle along the way.
The lost hiker found an unlocked cabin in the wilderness while lost. The owner of the cabin left the cabin unlocked for any lost travelers to use in their time of need. Fortunately, it was enough to keep the hiker alive during her ordeal.
Tiffany Slaton, a Georgia native, went missing on on April 29. She wasn't rescued until three weeks later after a massive search in the Sierra National Forest. Cabin owner Christopher Gutierrez found the missing hiker at the cabin.
"She pops out, didn't say a word, just ran up and all she wanted was a hug," Gutierrez said during a news conference. "It was a pretty surreal moment, and that's when I realized who this was."
Lost Hiker In The Woods
He explained that he leaves his cabin doors open during the off-season in case a lost hiker needs shelter. "It's mainly for people, just as this scenario played out, if they need to hole up in there one of shelter then it's available," Gutierrez said.
Slaton managed to survive on eating leeks for weeks before finally being saved.
"It was a blizzard, and she pushed through that blizzard, and the first thing she saw was a cabin," said Gutierrez. "And she held up in the cabin overnight ... this girl was saved for the reason."
Fortunately, she was in good condition. She managed to call her family after being rescued.
"She said, 'Dad, I'm alive, and I'm sorry, but I'm alive and I wanted to call you and let you know I'm alive,'" her father Bobby Slaton said at the press conference.
The sheriff's office was surprised to find her alive. At the time, they had been preparing to scale back the search. They were surprised that she managed to survive the elements and live.
"Three weeks, it's unheard of," sheriff's office spokesperson Tony Botti said. "It speaks to the tenacity that Tiffany has, that she's a fighter."
