A 24-year-old woman is lucky to be alive after surviving nearly two weeks in the California wilderness by herself.
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In a press release on Facebook, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office revealed that deputies discovered the 24-year-old woman, identified as Esmeralda Marie Pineda, on Friday, Sept. 6. She was found at the top of the river canyon in the vicinity of the Yuba River and Sweetland Creek in Nevada City.
The department’s deputies located Pineda at 12:41 p.m. She appeared to be severely dehydrated and emaciated. She also required immediate medical attention.
“The deputies radioed for life flight and the California Highway Patrol responded with their helicopter,” the department further shared. “North San Juan Fire Department firefighters also responded for medical.”
The woman was airlifted out of the wilderness by 1:20 p.m. and was transported to a hospital for treatment. The extent of her condition and injuries is unknown.
NCSO Sergeant Dustin Moe further also spoke out about the incident. “The Sheriff’s Office and our search and rescue volunteers covered extensive ground throughout our search, and we are thankful today to find her alive.”
The search for Pineda began on Aug. 26. She reportedly went missing from a mining camp in the vicinity of the middle fork of the Yuba River and Sweetland Creek in Nevada City. Nevada County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue volunteers even repel into and out of the canyon to look for her.
As part of the search, Sergeant Moe and his partner utilized the department’s off-highway vehicle razor. The vehicle’s usage was to search in more mountainous areas. They came across Pineda 12 days after she was initially reported missing.
The Woman Was on a Camping Trip With Friends When She Got Lost in the Wilderness
While speaking to KYMA-DT, Sergeant Moe stated that Pineda had gone camping with friends near the Yuba River and Sweetland Creek Nevada City, about 60 miles outside of Sacramento. However, the woman eventually told her friends she was done with being in the wilderness and wanted to go home.
The next day, Pineda had disappeared from the campsite.
“Her friends went searching for her during that day,” Sergeant Moe said. “And couldn’t find any signs whether she had made it out.”
Her friends reported her missing that same day.
Sergeant Moe further told KYMA that the middle fork area where Pineda had been located was treacherous. He pointed out that most people would not go into that area because it has no accessible trails.
“She probably had to scale around an 800 foot vertical foot climb to get up out of the canyon,” he said. “And it’s not just a gradual, nice walk up, it’s your on your hands and feet climbing up the canyon walls.”