Woman found alive after six days stranded in California forest, surviving on snow and yogurt

‘She was very emotional, but physically okay,’ says the Lassen County Sheriff’s Office

A missing woman has been found alive after spending six days lost in a California forest under heavy snowfall, police say.

According to the Lassen County Sheriff’s Office, Sheena Gullett, 52, had been stranded in her car in the woods near Little Valley since 14 April. On the morning of 20 April, after days of helicopter and ground searches, a sheriff’s sergeant found the vehicle, and Ms Gullett rushed out.

“She was very emotional, but physically okay,” the Sheriff’s Office said.

Police say Ms Gullett’s ordeal began last Thursday when she and her friend, Justin Lonich, 48, were driving home to Little Valley on a dirt road off Highway 44. After a few miles, their car got stuck in the snow. Stranded, they spent the night in the vehicle.

The next morning, things got worse. The car’s battery was dead, so the two friends began walking toward the highway. Then Ms Gullett’s shoes started to come apart.

“Sheena began falling behind as the soles of her boots had come off,” the Sheriff’s Office explained. “Justin continued walking ahead and soon they became separated.”

Mr Lonich went back for Ms Gullett, but at this point the snow was falling too heavily for him to find her. Giving up, he built a campfire and spent the night in the woods. The next day he continued walking until he reached a gravel road, and spent another night there.

On Sunday, Mr Gullett finally found Highway 44. Hitching a ride, he made his way back to civilization and contacted police, reporting Ms Gullett missing.

“Initially, details of this incident were unclear and made it difficult for Sheriff’s Office personnel to narrow down a search area,” the Sheriff’s Office said. “Justin was not familiar with the area and the roads they had been traveling on.”

Police, the US Forest Service, and the California Highway Patrol scoured the area, but more snowfall cut their search short. Then, on Wednesday afternoon, there was a breakthrough.

“At around 3:00 p.m., after searching for several hours, the Sheriff’s sergeant located the vehicle,” police said. “Immediately upon his arrival, Sheena came out of the vehicle.”

The sergeant took Ms Gullett to a nearby ranger station, where she was given a medical evaluation. Distraught but physically unharmed, Ms Gullett told police her harrowing story.

“During the six days Sheena was stranded, she rationed a six-pack of yogurt, eating one per day,” the Sheriff’s Office said. “She did not have any water and had been eating snow.”

Incredibly, Ms Gullett spent exactly six days in the woods. When police found her, she had just run out of food.

In a statement, Lieutenant Dave Woginrich thanked everyone involved in finding Ms Gullett alive.

“The Lassen County Sheriff’s Office Command Staff commends the efforts of all personnel involved in searching for and locating Sheena,” Mr Woginrich said. “Through their efforts, Sheena was found safe and is now back home. Also, special thanks go out to the California Highway Patrol and the US Forest Service for their assistance.”