California authorities say her story is one of perseverance, determination, and survival
Bermudian-American Tiffany Slaton shared her harrowing survival story during a press conference at the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, where she appeared alongside her family and deputies who took part in the search effort.
The briefing followed her remarkable rescue on Wednesday, when the owner of Vermilion Valley Resort discovered her seeking shelter in one of his remote cabins near Lake Edison, after she was reported missing for weeks.
“I honestly do think that without Vermilion Resort, I would not be here,” Ms Slaton told reporters. “Because that was the 13th heavy snowstorm I had been in — and it was going to be the last one. If he hadn’t come that day, they would have found my body there.”
Ms Slaton recounted surviving an avalanche during which she fell off a cliff, lost consciousness for two hours, splinted one of her legs, and had to pop her knee back into place on her own.
She said she began to run out of food after just five days. Drawing on her training as a forager and nutritionist, she survived by eating wild leeks, brewing tea from local plants, and boiling snowmelt for water.
“…when you do manage to find food, the animals are also in competition with you — and on many occasions, I fought nature and lost,” she explained.
Ms Slaton estimated she had been missing for between 20 and 23 days — a significant stretch from what was originally planned as a simple three-day getaway to Mono Hot Springs.
She expressed deep gratitude to those involved in the search and recovery effort: “I really do have a new faith in humanity.”
During the press conference, Ms Slaton wore sunglasses due to prolonged exposure to snow glare and sunlight while in the wilderness.
