Tiffany Slaton, a 27-year-old from Jeffersonville, Georgia, was found alive Wednesday afternoon after surviving nearly a month alone in the snowy Sierra Nevada wilderness. Her discovery near Lake Edison brought relief to her family and the Fresno County community, concluding an intensive search that spanned nearly 600 square miles, according to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office.
Slaton, a keen outdoorswoman, set off on a solo camping trip across the Sierra and was last seen near Shaver Lake on April 24. Her family reported her missing five days later, prompting a large-scale search and rescue operation that included helicopters and ground teams. The effort was hampered by lingering snowpack, which made key mountain roads impassable and forced rescuers to scale back their search just one day before she was found.
The break came when Christopher Gutierrez, owner of the remote Vermilion Valley Resort, accessed his property for the first time this season after snowplows cleared Kaiser Pass. Gutierrez noticed one of his cabins was occupied and quickly recognized Slaton from missing person alerts. He had intentionally left the cabin unlocked for emergencies, a precaution that proved vital for Slaton’s survival. He immediately contacted authorities, who confirmed Slaton’s identity and arranged for her transport to a hospital. She was found dehydrated but otherwise in good condition and is now under observation.
Slaton told Gutierrez she survived a blizzard and subsisted mainly on wild leeks until she found shelter in the cabin. Her resilience and resourcefulness drew praise from both law enforcement and her family.
Her parents, Bobby and Fredrina Slaton, learned of their daughter’s rescue while in Georgia. “A ton of weight has been lifted,” her father told USA Today. The family plans to reunite in Fresno to celebrate Tiffany’s birthday, which falls the day after her rescue.
Detectives are now working to piece together the details of Slaton’s ordeal and survival.
