LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥 When the Vermilion Valley Resort in California's eastern Sierra shut down for the winter, the staff left cabin doors unlocked just in case a wayward hiker needed shelter during the frequent mountain snowstorms. That decision may have saved the life of Tiffany Slaton, the 27-year-old Georgia woman who was missing for nearly three weeks in remote wilderness.
Owner Christopher Gutierrez spotted a cabin door ajar and a pair of shoes nearby when he arrived Wednesday morning to begin reopening the resort for spring. Suddenly, a young woman appeared in the doorway.
鈥淪he pops out, didn鈥檛 say a word, just ran up and all she wanted was a hug,鈥 Gutierrez said during a Wednesday evening news conference. 鈥淚t was a pretty surreal moment, and that鈥檚 when I realized who this was.鈥
It was Slaton, whose parents had reported her missing on April 29 after not hearing from her for more than a week. The Fresno County Sheriff's office launched a search, and deputies and volunteers scoured more than 600 square miles (1,550 square kilometers) of the Sierra 好色tv Forest, with no luck. Searchers were hampered by heavy snow blocking many roads.
On Monday, the sheriff鈥檚 office had announced it was scaling back the search effort. Two days later, she emerged from the cabin.
Gutierrez gave Slaton a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and called authorities, who brought her to a hospital for evaluation. She was hungry and dehydrated, but otherwise in good condition, sheriff's officials said.
Sheriff鈥檚 spokesperson Tony Botti said it was the longest period of time he鈥檚 seen someone be missing in the wilderness and survive.
鈥淭hree weeks, it鈥檚 unheard of,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t speaks to the tenacity that Tiffany has, that she鈥檚 a fighter."
Thanks to tips from the public, investigators determined that Slaton had been spotted around April 20 near Huntington Lake, more than 20 miles (32 kilometers) to the southwest through rough terrain. But authorities didn't provide details about when or where Slaton's trek began, what her plans were, and what route she took to end up at Vermilion Valley Resort, which sits the Sierra Nevada about halfway between Yosemite and Sequoia/Kings Canyon national parks.
Botti said sheriff鈥檚 officials planned to interview Slaton to learn the details of her experience, and how she survived in icy conditions at elevations topping 6,500 feet (1,981 meters).
Across the country in Jeffersonville, Georgia, her parents were out shopping when they got word that their daughter had been found.
鈥淚 just grabbed somebody and I said, 鈥楥an I hug you?鈥 And I did,鈥 said her mother, Fredrina Slaton. 鈥淚 was crying and hugging.鈥
Tiffany's father, Bobby Slaton, said 鈥渁 ton of weight has been lifted.鈥 He thanked the search-and-rescue team and all the community members who helped in the effort to find her.
Sheriff's officials said snowplows cleared a key mountain pass earlier Wednesday, which allowed Gutierrez to access the resort on Lake Edison for the first time this year. Gutierrez said he had to spend about an hour and a half breaking up ice before he could get into the property.
Slaton's parents said Tiffany was raised with a love of the outdoors, and they always stressed the importance of being able to fend for yourself in a tough situation.
鈥淪o it鈥檚 nice to know, as parents, that all the things that we鈥檝e taught her, she actually did," her mother said. 鈥淲e believe that life is an adventure."
