Shocking twist in case of California woman who disappeared from a mining camp for two weeks
A Sacramento woman who disappeared from a mining camp last month has been found “severely dehydrated” and starving — but alive — in the wilderness.
Esmeralda Marie Pineda, 24, was last seen at a mining camp near the Middle Fork of the Yuba River and Sweetland Creek in Nevada on the morning of August 26.
Rescue workers conducted an extensive search for two weeks.
Ultimately, deputies with the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office found a “severely dehydrated and emaciated” Pineda on the canyon rim, near the Yuba River and Sweetland Creek.
Sergeant Dustin Moe explained that the search teams only noticed her when she sat up and looked in their direction.
Esmeralda Marie Pineda, 24, was found alive 12 days after she disappeared from a mining camp near the middle fork of the Yuba River and Sweetland Creek in Nevada
“She had difficulty speaking, so we didn’t want to pressure her to talk and we didn’t want her to express any unnecessary energy that she still had,” the official said. said.
Nevada City is located just over 60 miles north of Sacramento, Pineda’s hometown.
Less than an hour after she was found, Pineda was helicoptered out of the canyon by the California Highway Patrol and taken to a hospital for treatment.
Authorities have not released any information about the severity of her injuries.
The missing victim was camping with three friends in the Middle Yuba River Gorge when she tried to return home.
Less than an hour after she was found, Pineda was helicoptered out of the canyon by the California Highway Patrol and taken to a hospital for treatment
The missing victim was camping with three friends in the Middle Yuba River Gorge when she tried to return home.
Pineda was found by Nevada County Sheriff’s Office deputies on the canyon rim, near the Yuba River and Sweetland Creek.
But when her friends woke up the next day, they found her gone.
“So her friends went looking for her that day and couldn’t find any sign that she made it,” Moe said. said.
It is also explained to him that there is no trail system in the area near the middle fork where she was found. This is usually the reason why people avoid that area.
When asked how he thinks Pineda survived for almost two weeks, he replied, “Who knows? I mean, maybe she had good survival instincts. She had some luck behind her and she got through those 12 days.”