Tiffany Slaton, a 35-year-old from Georgia, has been found safe after going missing during a solo camping trip in California's Sierra Nevada mountains. She was discovered in a lakeside cabin near Fresno County on Wednesday, having taken shelter from a blizzard.
The owner of the Vermilion Valley Resort, Christopher Gutierrez, found Slaton when checking his property. He recognised her from missing person alerts and contacted the Fresno County Sheriff's Office. Slaton was dehydrated but otherwise in good condition and was taken to hospital for observation.
Slaton's mother, Fredrina, expressed her relief, saying she could not wait to hug her daughter. Slaton had last been heard from on 20 April near Huntington Lake, and her family reported her missing on 29 April after nine days without contact.
Search and rescue teams had conducted a full-scale operation covering nearly 600 square miles between 6 and 10 May, but heavy snow prevented them from reaching the Lake Edison area where Slaton was found. Snowplows cleared the road just before her discovery.
Mr Gutierrez said he had left the cabin unlocked as a precaution. Slaton told him she pushed through the blizzard and found the cabin to hold up in. Officials plan to meet with Slaton to learn more about her ordeal.
