The emotional rescue of a mountaineer who had been lost for three weeks in California: “All she wanted was a hug”
A hiker in Vermilion Valley Resort has been rescued after 3 weeks stuck on the mountain.
Tiffany Slaton, a 28-year-old hiker from Jeffersonville, Georgia, survived an extraordinary three-week ordeal in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains after a solo camping trip went south. Last seen near Huntington Lake on April 20, she was reported missing by her parents on April 29 after they didn’t hear from her for more than a week.
Slaton’s journey took a dire turn when an avalanche injured her leg and swept away her camping gear, leaving her with only a lighter, a knife, and some snacks. She endured by foraging for wild leeks and drinking melted snow, documenting her experience in a journal to maintain her mental well-being.
Despite multiple unsuccessful attempts to call 911, Slaton managed to traverse over 20 miles through snow-laden terrain, eventually finding refuge in an unlocked cabin at the Vermilion Valley Resort.
‘I just grabbed somebody and I said, ‘Can I hug you?’
The resort’s owner, Christopher Gutierrez, had intentionally left the cabins unlocked during the off-season to aid stranded hikers. Upon returning to prepare for the spring season, Gutierrez discovered Slaton dehydrated but otherwise in good health. Gutierrez gave Slaton a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and contacted the authorities, who moved quickly to take her to the local hospital.
“She pops out, didn’t say a word, just ran up and all she wanted was a hug,” Gutierrez said during a Wednesday evening news conference. “It was a pretty surreal moment, and that’s when I realized who this was.”
Prior to her discovery, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office had conducted an extensive search covering over 600 square miles, which was eventually scaled back due to severe snow conditions. Slaton’s survival is attributed to her resilience, knowledge of foraging, and athleticism as a former competitive archer. Her parents expressed immense relief upon her safe return, with her father recalling the emotional moment she called to say, “Dad, I’m alive.”
Over in Jeffersonville, Georgia, her parents were on a shopping trip when they heard 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. “I was crying and hugging.” Tiffany’s father, Bobby Slaton, revealed that “a ton of weight has been lifted.”
The Sheriff’s spokesperson Tony Botti called her survival “unheard of”, adding that “it speaks to the tenacity that Tiffany has, that she’s a fighter.” Botti also revealed that there are now plans in place to interview Slaton to learn the details of her experience, and how she survived in icy conditions at elevations above 6,500 feet.
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