A California hiker has revealed how she survived for 24 days in the wilderness after going missing in a snowstorm.
Tiffany Slaton, 28, was found alive and safe earlier this month after more than three weeks on her own in California's Sierra Nevada. She was reported missing in late April after becoming stranded in a harrowing snowstorm during a solo backpacking trip.
During a news conference with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Department, Slaton described how she had become lost and found herself in grave danger when the weather took a turn for the worse.
You can view local station WGXA News' report of the story below, including footage of the news conference.
She originally had a bicycle, a tent, two sleeping bags, and plenty of food, but these became lost in the storm, leaving her with just a lighter, a knife, and a few snacks. She also had a phone, which could not connect when calling 911, but pointed her in the general direction of civilization, some 20 miles (32km) away.
Without shelter or an effective way of summoning help, Slaton began the long journey towards safety, navigating snowdrifts up to 12ft (3.7m) deep as she trekked through the high-altitude Kaiser Pass area.
At one point, she was injured in an avalanche and was forced to 'pop' her knee back into place.
When her snacks ran out, Tiffany relied on her survival skills for food, foraging wild leeks, drinking snow and even making tea from manzanita shrubs and pine needles.
"The worst thing you can do in an emergency situation is panic," said Tiffany, an experienced horticulturalist.
As she worked her way through deep snow and more storms, a full-scale, multi-agency search operation unsuccessfully scanned some 600 miles (966km) trying to find her.
After 24 harrowing days in the wilderness, Slaton stumbled onto the Vermilion Valley Resort, which leaves cabins open during the winter months for hikers who may need them. Just eight hours later, she was miraculously discovered by the resort's owner, Christopher Gutierrez, who had arrived to open the lodges for the summer.
"That was the 13th heavy snowstorm I had been in, and it was going to be the last one," continued a relieved Tiffany, who lost 10lb in body weight (4.5kg) during the ordeal.
"If he hadn’t come that day, they would’ve found my body there."
- The best first aid kits: be prepared for accidents and emergencies
- The best snowshoes: for cold-play adventures all winter long
