Latest news with #VermilionValleyResort
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
California hiker who fell off cliff and survived three weeks in wilderness hit by shocking claim
A hiker who was found after falling off a cliff and surviving for three weeks in the California wilderness has been called out by skeptics who are questioning if she's telling the truth about her journey. Tiffany Slaton, 28, was reported missing by her family on April 29 after not hearing from her for nine days, the Fresno County Sheriff's Office said. The department then sent out several alerts about her disappearance and called on the public to look out for her, as one tip confirmed she was last seen at Huntington Lake on April 20. Slaton, of Jeffersonville, Georgia was on a solo trip through the Sierra Nevada when she said she suddenly became lost after falling off a cliff. After her fall, Slaton said she endured a treacherous three weeks before she was finally found on May 14. She was located inside a cabin at the Vermilion Valley Resort near Lake Edison, the sheriff's office said. Despite making it out of the situation alive, many are now wondering if Slaton's shocking survival journey is truthful and if her family's fundraising motives were created with the right intentions. 'I'm glad to see that other people don't believe this story. So many things don't add up, I hope this office investigates fully since resources were used,' one commenter said. 'Something's very off about the story. I don't believe her at all. I think she's just looking for fame or money,' wrote another. 'It's embarrassing to think people believe someone fell off a cliff, survived 2 hours unconscious (guess she was timing it), popped her knee back into place, and traveled 20 miles after splinting her leg,' another wrote. While many are unsure if the story is factual or fictional, a lot of people stood up for Slaton after she returned home. 'The kid went on an adventure with no reception. It's not her fault search and rescue crews didn't listen to the family and found her weeks later,' someone said. Another stated: 'Tiffany is a true survivor and fighter to the end. Sounds like a movie in the making.' After falling from a cliff, Slaton said she was unable to return to the main road because she was then hit by an avalanche, causing her to fall unconscious for two hours. When she finally woke up, she realized she injured herself and went on to splint one of her legs and pop her knee back into place, she recalled. She then proceeded on her journey, where she made it through 13 snowstorms, two landslides, had to eat wild leeks, boil snow melt for drinking water, and also got her tent, electric bike, phone and two sleeping bags stolen, according to the hiker. She also recalled being unable to contact 911 but was somehow able to get GPS information from a Starbucks location, leaving skeptics even more confused. 'I eventually got mad at my GPS and decided to ask, "Well, where is the nearest Starbucks?",' she said at the news conference. 'It was like, "Oh, well, we can answer that question. It's 18 miles from here".' A GoFundMe page set up by her parents was officially shut down on Monday after an influx of speculation crowded the family. 'The donations feature is closed but kind words are welcomed,' the page read. Her parents still noted that the family is 'in need of financial help for any and all expenses while we are in California.' Slaton's father, Bobby Slaton, previously called out the skeptics on the donation page, writing: 'Believe it or not, we even thank those who have questioned the merit of the events — That is what makes miracles so unbelievable.' Online users aren't the only ones who don't quite understand Slaton's story, as Howie Schwartz, an experienced Sierra mountain guide, shared the same concerns. Schwartz told the Los Angeles Times he understands her getting lost in the wilderness, but the rest isn't quite adding up. 'It doesn't seem like a story you can really wrap your head around,' he said. 'Falling off a cliff, having to splint her leg. You don't splint your leg unless your leg is broken and if your leg is broken, you're not walking miles on it.' Schwartz was actually in the area guiding a five-day ski trip in the Mono Recesses in the Sierra while Slaton was missing. He told the outlet he recalled seeing helicopters searching for her at the time. The expert said the area still experienced late-season snow storms around this time of year, but the elevation near Huntington and Edison lakes is low enough that only rain would come down. Tony Botti, a spokesperson for the sheriff's department, told the outlet they still don't have a full understanding of what exactly happened to Slaton out in the wilderness. 'We can only work with the information she told us because there are no other independent witnesses,' Botti said. 'If there are inaccuracies or embellishments, we really can't do anything about it.' Meanwhile, Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni praised Slaton for her 'incredible story of perseverance, determination and survival,' adding that it resembles 'something that you may see on TV that they would make movies about.' Christopher Gutierrez, the resort owner who found her taking refuge in the cabin, echoes Zanoni's response. 'She has stories, she could write a book. It's just unbelievable,' he said.
Times
17-05-2025
- Times
Unlocked holiday homes saved missing California hiker's life
As he was leaving his remote mountain resort in California's High Sierra this winter, Christopher Gutierrez decided to leave the doors unlocked. It was a precaution he took in case a hiker became stranded in a blizzard and needed refuge. The decision saved Tiffany Slaton's life. More than three weeks after she went missing while camping in the Sierra National Forest, the 28-year-old, dishevelled and dehydrated but otherwise healthy, turned up at the resort. 'She pops out, didn't say a word, just ran up,' Gutierrez, the owner of the Vermilion Valley Resort, said during a press conference on Wednesday. 'She just wanted a hug.' As he returned to begin opening the resort for spring, Gutierrez spotted a door ajar and a pair of shoes.
CBS News
16-05-2025
- CBS News
Missing hiker found in California mountain cabin says she fell off a cliff, was trapped by an avalanche
Tiffany Slaton, a woman who was missing for weeks in California's Sierra Nevada, said she was in an avalanche and survived off leeks before she was found safe on Wednesday. "When I fell off of this cliff, I was unconscious for about two hours and did indeed need to splint one of my legs and popped the other knee back into place," Slaton said while addressing the news media on Friday, "From there, I couldn't actually get back onto the road, the main road was blocked because of the avalanche that I had been in." Slaton said she tried calling 911 numerous times but was not successful. However, her GPS was able to get her directions to the nearest Starbucks, but she says the route was a "long, arduous journey." After about five days, she said she ran out of food. Slaton, who said she is a nutritionist, said she ended up surviving on leeks, boiled snowmelt, and made tea out of manzanita and pine needles. She originally set out for a camping trip, so she said she brought two sleeping bags and a tent. But she said she lost the tent and the sleeping bags at some point, leaving her with just a lighter and a knife. "I'm pretty good at forging, and nature is quite terrifying, so usually once you start finding things that are scary for you, you do your best to keep moving and get over it," she said. The owner of Vermilion Valley Resort found her in a cabin on Wednesday. "That was the 13th heavy snowstorm I had been in," Slaton said. "If he hadn't come that day, they would've found my body there." Slaton celebrated her 28th birthday on Thursday. Slaton added that she is an archery teacher and an athlete.
Fox News
16-05-2025
- Fox News
Missing Georgia camper 'miraculously found alive' after disappearing for weeks in California wilderness
A missing Georgia camper was "miraculously found alive" in California's Sierra Nevada after disappearing weeks ago, police say. Tiffany Slaton, a 27-year-old from Jefferson, was discovered Wednesday after the owner of the Vermilion Valley Resort near Lake Edison in Fresno County, California, was conducting a property check and "found one of his cabins was occupied by a woman," according to the Fresno County Sheriff's Office. "She pops out, didn't say a word, just ran up and all she wanted was a hug," Christopher Gutierrez said. "It was a pretty surreal moment and that's when I realized who this was." Investigators say Slaton was reported missing by her family on April 29 after she was not heard from for nine days. She was found "dehydrated, but was otherwise in good condition." "He was aware of an ongoing search for a missing woman, and she matched the description. Deputies traveled up to Kaiser Pass Road and met with the owner who had driven Tiffany out to the staging point. Deputies confirmed it to be Tiffany and medics arrived with an ambulance to examine her," the Sheriff's Office added. "It is important to note that the road from Kaiser Pass back to Lake Edison was impassable due to the snowpack." Police say snowplows cleared the road to the Vermilion Valley Resort on Wednesday, and Gutierrez was preparing to open up the property for the public for the summer. "The owner said he had 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," the Fresno County Sheriff's Office said. Slaton's father, Bobby, said on Wednesday that "This has to be the third or fourth best day of our lives after our children's births so we are extremely excited and happy to hear the news that my daughter is now safe." "A ton of weight has been lifted, and we can't thank the sheriff's department of Fresno enough and the search and rescue team enough for – and most certainly, the community. The community has been outstanding in the search for Tiffany." 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. "Detectives are now arranging to meet with Tiffany to learn more about her timeline of events and overall experience," it also said.
The Guardian
15-05-2025
- The Guardian
US camper missing for weeks found safe in California cabin
A hiker who went missing for weeks during a solo camping trip in the California wilderness has been found safely, after she became trapped in a blizzard and took refuge in an empty lakeside cabin. Tiffany Slaton of Jeffersonville, Georgia, was found near a lake in Fresno county, California, after the owner of Vermilion Valley Resort, a lodging site between Yosemite and Kings Canyon national parks, was checking on his property and noticed that one of his cabins was occupied by a woman, according to the Fresno county sheriff's office. He recognized that she matched the description of a missing person and knew that a search was ongoing. The owner then reported the women to the county's sheriff office, who later confirmed her identity. A medical examination determined that while Slaton was dehydrated, she was otherwise in good condition. Medics transported her to a hospital for further treatment and observation. The detective in charge of the case immediately notified Slaton's parents in Georgia with the good news. 'I can't wait to see and hug her,' her mother, Fredrina Slaton, told ABC30. 'We talk to Tiffany all the time, and to know that I couldn't talk to her for Mother's Day – it was really hard.' Slaton had embarked on a solo camping trip through the Sierra Nevada, and her family had reported her missing on 29 April after not having heard from her for nine days. The sheriff's office launched a search and distributed public alerts to raise awareness. Investigators confirmed that Slaton was seen at Huntington Lake on 20 April and near the old Cressman's General Store on 24 April. After that, there were no confirmed sightings. Between 6 May and 10, the sheriff's search and rescue team conducted a full-scale operation in the mountains to search for Slaton. The search covered an area of nearly 600 sq miles in the remote eastern Sierra Nevada. However, the rescue team had been unable to search the location where Slaton was eventually found, known as Lake Edison, due to heavy amounts of snow. Snowplows cleared the road to the lake on Wednesday, which helped the resort owner reach his property and start preparations to open for the summer. The owner told authorities that he had left a cabin unlocked as a precaution in case a lost person needed shelter to survive the harsh outdoor conditions. 'She pops out, didn't say a word, just ran up, and all she wanted was a hug,' Christopher Gutierrez, the owner of the resort, told ABC30. 'From what she told us, there was a blizzard, and she pushed through that blizzard. The first thing she saw was a cabin, and she held up in the cabin through the night.' She survived solely on leeks, Slaton told Gutierrez. Officials said they plan to meet with Slaton to learn more about what happened and to better understand her experience during the time she was missing.
