Missing Jeffersonville woman found alive in California cabin 20 days after she was last seen

Tiffany Slaton of Jeffersonville, Georgia, was found safe in a remote cabin after vanishing in California more than two weeks ago. Search crews had covered nearly 600 square miles.

FRESNO COUNTY, California (41NBC/WMGT) – A 27-year-old woman from Jeffersonville, who had been missing for more than two weeks, was found alive Wednesday afternoon in a remote cabin near Lake Edison in Fresno County, California, according to a post from the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.

Tiffany Slaton was found by the owner of Vermilion Valley Resort, who was checking on his property after snowplows cleared the road to Lake Edison. The man found one of his cabins occupied and recognized Slaton from alerts circulated during the ongoing search. He contacted the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office immediately.

“The detective handling the investigation immediately reported the good news to Tiffany’s parents who were in Georgia,” the Facebook post said.

Deputies met the resort owner on Kaiser Pass Road, where he had driven Slaton to a staging point. Authorities confirmed her identity, and medics examined her at the scene. She was dehydrated but otherwise in good condition and was taken to a hospital for further treatment and observation.

Deputies said Slaton’s family, who lives in Georgia, reported her missing on April 29 after not hearing from her for nine days. During the investigation, she was confirmed to have been seen at Huntington Lake on April 20 and near a general store on April 24. There were no confirmed sightings after that date.

From May 6 through May 10, the sheriff’s search and rescue team launched a large-scale operation across nearly 600 square miles, spanning areas from Mono Hot Springs to Wishon Reservoir and Pine Flat Lake to Auberry. Helicopters searched the Lake Edison and Mono Hot Springs regions, but no trace of Slaton or her belongings was found at that time.

Deputies say the road leading back to Lake Edison had been impassable due to snowpack. The resort owner had left a cabin unlocked in anticipation that someone in distress might need shelter.

Detectives are now working to meet with Slaton to learn more about her experience and what happened during the 17 days she was missing.