Missing hiker found in California mountain cabin says she fell off a cliff, was trapped by an avalanche

4 hours ago 2

CBS News Live

Tiffany Slaton, a pistillate who was missing for weeks successful California's Sierra Nevada, said she was successful an avalanche and survived disconnected leeks earlier she was recovered harmless connected Wednesday.

"When I fell disconnected of this cliff, I was unconscious for astir 2 hours and did so request to splint 1 of my legs and popped the different genu backmost into place," Slaton said portion addressing the quality media connected Friday. "From there, I couldn't really get backmost onto the road, the main roadworthy was blocked due to the fact that of the avalanche that I had been in."

Slaton said she tried calling 911 galore times but was not successful. However, her GPS was capable to get her directions to the nearest Starbucks, but she says the way was a "long, arduous journey."

After astir 5 days, she said she ran retired of food. Slaton, who said she is simply a nutritionist, said she ended up surviving connected leeks, boiled snowmelt, and made beverage retired of manzanita and conifer needles.

"The [Sierra] has a ample enactment of leeks that is hard to find successful different places," Slaton said. "I managed to past disconnected of these leeks and boiling the snowmelt for a precise agelong play of time."

She primitively acceptable retired for a camping trip, truthful she said she brought 2 sleeping bags and a tent. But she said she mislaid the structure and the sleeping bags astatine immoderate point, leaving her with conscionable a lighter and a knife.

"I'm beauteous bully astatine forging, and quality is rather terrifying, truthful usually erstwhile you commencement uncovering things that are scary for you, you bash your champion to support moving and get implicit it," she said.

The proprietor of Vermilion Valley Resort recovered her successful a compartment connected Wednesday.

"That was the 13th dense snowstorm I had been in," Slaton said. "If helium hadn't travel that day, they would've recovered my assemblage there."

Slaton celebrated her 28th day connected Thursday.

Slaton added that she is an archery teacher and an athlete.