In what authorities are calling a “miraculous survival story,” 25-year-old Tiffany Slaton of Jeffersonville, Georgia, has been found alive after vanishing for nearly three weeks in the rugged Sierra National Forest in California.
Slaton was discovered in a remote, snow-covered mountain cabin on Wednesday, May 14, just two days after the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office had scaled back its search.
The discovery came thanks to the foresight of staff at Vermilion Valley Resort, who had intentionally left several cabins unlocked during the winter shutdown in case stranded hikers needed shelter. Resort owner Christopher Gutierrez was reopening the property for spring when he noticed an open door and a pair of shoes. Moments later, Slaton appeared in the doorway.
“She pops out, didn’t say a word, just ran up and all she wanted was a hug,” Gutierrez recalled at a press conference. “It was a surreal moment.”
https://shinemycrown.com/help-bring-her-home-search-intensifies-for-missing-camper-tiffany-slaton-in-california-wilderness/Slaton had been reported missing by her parents on April 29, after they hadn’t heard from her in nine days. Despite a search effort that covered over 600 square miles of mountainous terrain and was severely hampered by heavy snow, no trace of her had been found—until now.
A Test of Tenacity
Slaton had last been seen near Huntington Lake around April 20, more than 20 miles from the resort where she was eventually located. She survived alone in the wilderness for three weeks at elevations above 6,500 feet, enduring freezing temperatures and deep snow.
Deputies said she was hungry and dehydrated, but otherwise in remarkable condition for someone who had spent weeks in such harsh conditions. After Gutierrez gave her a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, emergency services transported her to a local hospital for evaluation.
“Three weeks—it’s unheard of,” said Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Tony Botti. “It speaks to the tenacity that Tiffany has, that she’s a fighter.”
Botti noted that investigators plan to interview Slaton to understand how she managed to survive under such extreme circumstances.
Relief and Gratitude Across the Country
In Georgia, Tiffany’s parents were out shopping when they received the unexpected call that their daughter had been found.
“I just grabbed somebody and I said, ‘Can I hug you?’ And I did,” said her mother, Fredrina Slaton, through tears.
“We believe that life is an adventure.”
Her father, Bobby Slaton, described the moment as lifting “a ton of weight” off his shoulders and praised both search-and-rescue crews and volunteers who helped during the extensive search.
The Slatons said they raised Tiffany with a love for the outdoors and instilled in her a sense of resilience. “It’s nice to know, as parents, that all the things we’ve taught her—she actually did,” her mother added.
