A missing Georgia camper was “miraculously found alive” in California’s Sierra Nevada after disappearing weeks ago, police say.
A 27-year-old woman named Tiffany Slaton, from Jefferson, was found on Wednesday at the Vermilion Valley Resort near Lake Edison in Fresno County, California. The discovery was made by the resort owner during a routine property check when he noticed a woman staying in one of his cabins, as stated by the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office.
“She emerged without saying anything and simply ran over wanting a hug,” Christopher Gutierrez recounted. “It was a quite surreal experience, and that’s when I recognized who she was.”
Authorities say Slaton was reported missing by her family on April 29 after not being heard from for nine days. When found, she was “dehydrated, but otherwise in good health.”
Tiffany Slaton had taken refuge in an unlocked cabin at a resort, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office said. (Fresno County Sheriff’s Office)
Her mother, Fredrina, said they were out shopping for clothes in preparation for a trip to the area when they first learned she had been found safe.
“I just grabbed somebody and said, ‘can I hug you’? And I did, I was crying and hugging,” according to Fredrina Slaton.
“She called me on her way down from the mountain. As soon as they were able to get a cell signal, she actually reached out to me and that was truly when the tears started flowing,” added her father.
“She said ‘Dad, I’m alive, and I’m sorry, but I’m alive, and I wanted to call you and let you know that I’m alive,’ and I asked because I didn’t want to get my hopes up. I asked ‘who was this’? And she says ‘This is Tiffany.’ And that was it, I just thank God for that moment because prayers were answered,” Bobby Slaton also said.
Investigators previously carried out a “full-scale” search in the mountains for Slaton between May 6 and May 10, spanning nearly 600 square miles, “but the crew never found any trace of Tiffany or her belongings,” it added.
Bobby and Fedrina Slaton said they were out shopping for clothes when their daughter called to say she had been found safe. (Fresno County Sheriff’s Office)
“Detectives are now arranging to meet with Tiffany to learn more about her timeline of events and overall experience,” it also said.
