Tiffany Slaton relied on her survival instincts while stranded in the mountains of Fresno, California, for nearly three weeks. She was finally found alive on Wednesday.
After nine days without hearing from her, the parents of the 28-year-old Jeffersonville, Georgia, resident reported her missing on April 29.
Slaton told reporters at a recent press conference, “I may never do a vacation longer than three days ever again,” as she described how her three-day solo camping trip ended as a survival journey.
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Even though she started her “vacation” with a tent, two sleeping bags, and a bicycle, she spent the rest of her adventure with only a knife and a lighter.
She revealed that at the start of her camping vacation, she fell over a cliff and was unconscious for two hours, damaging both of her legs. The “pre-Olympian” archer and skilled horticulturist then splinted one leg and popped “another knee back into place,” as reported by ABC News.
She couldn’t return to the main road because of a recent avalanche, and she couldn’t get mobile service to call 911.
So she set out on her “long, arduous journey” to try to return to civilization, which she noted included 13 severe snowstorms, hiking heights as high as 11,000 feet, surviving on leeks and cooked snow, and fending off animals.
“Nature is quite terrifying. Once you start finding things that are scary for you, you do your best to keep moving and get over it,” Slaton remarked.
She told herself throughout all of her time alone in the wilderness that she would rather “live than have to deal with my parents, seeing that I failed in such a dumb way.” She was also anxious about seeing her loved ones before her birthday, which was on Thursday, the day after she was found.
Authorities searched for the 28-year-old from May 6 to May 10, however, police said Tuesday they had chosen to reduce their efforts after searching an area of around 600 square miles and failing to find her since April 24.
Then, on Wednesday, Slaton called her parents, Bobby and Fredrina Slaton, and said, “Dad, I’m alive.”
Officials reported that the missing camper had managed to survive a blizzard and sought refuge in an open cabin at a resort close to Lake Edison.
According to authorities, resort owner Christopher Gutierrez “left a cabin unlocked as a precaution for this exact situation where someone who is lost could seek shelter and increase their chances of surviving the outdoor elements and harsh weather.”
Slaton said she believed she was having hallucinations when she discovered this cabin as she thought she had “managed to make it to the North Pole.”
“When the door opened, I saw the best sleeping bag in the world,” Slaton recalled.
Gutierrez told the media that he had found Slaton when he got to the resort to get it ready for the summer.
“As soon as I saw her, she didn’t say a word, just ran up and all she wanted was a hug. It was a pretty surreal moment,” Gutierrez said.
Slaton said, “If he hadn’t come that day, they would have found my body there.”
Gutierrez said he knew that there had been a missing hiker in the area and called the sheriff’s office to say he had found Slaton.
Slaton told Gutierrez that “all she wanted was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.”
Deputies confirmed the woman was Slaton, who was then examined by medics and treated for dehydration, according to officials.
Authorities said that Slaton, who they described as a “fighter,” was found approximately 45 miles from where she was last seen.
Slaton, during the press conference, said she has experienced eye damage due to the snowy conditions, along with a few minor cuts and burns. She added that despite losing roughly 10 pounds after 20 days in the bush, her blood test was “perfect” because of her ability to forage.
Meanwhile, even though Fredrina Slaton is “very proud” of her daughter’s survival, she said she “will be prouder when she gets a GPS.”
While she continues to heal, Slaton will return to her family in Georgia. She also mentioned that she journaled the entire adventure and intends to review that material as she awakens to reality.
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