Sheena Gullett Little Valley Northern California woman survives off 6 packs of yoghurt after being stuck in snow 6 days in her car during blizzard.
A Northern California woman stranded in a remote snow forest for over six days has told of surviving her ordeal by eating six packs of yoghurts and eating one of them a day while in her car after becoming separated from her companion.
Sheena Gullett, 52, also ate snow to keep herself hydrated after she and friend, Justin Honich, 48, became trapped by a blizzard while driving down a dirt road near Little Valley in northern California April 14.
The pair spent the night in their car, only for their car battery to die the next morning.
As they attempted to escape the wilderness the following day, Gullet and Honich became separated when the sole’s of Gullett’s hiking boots fell apart.
She left Honich to continue, and returned to the car actionnewsnow reported.
Fighting the elements for survival
Further disaster struck when Gullett’s shoes began to perish and she could not continue walking.
More snowfall meant that Honich could not find Gullett with the pair now completely separated.
Gullett returned to the car to wait for help, alone in the elements. Honich continued on for his search for civilization.
That night, Honich, still isolated in the harsh weather conditions, sought shelter and built a campfire.
The following day, the 16th, Honich reached a gravel road but was still unable to make contact with anybody. He slept in the wild again that night according to KCRA News.
On the 17th, Honich finally got to Highway 44 where he was able to flag down a vehicle which brought him to the town of Susanville. There, Honich told authorities that Gullett was still stranded.
Honich was not familiar with the area where the pair had run into trouble and was therefore unable to give authorities specific directions to Gullett.
Missed opportunity
According to a news release via the Lassen County sheriff’s office, immediately after Honich made his report, the members of the department, along with the forest service and the California Highway Patrol began a land and air search for the missing woman.
The searches were delayed due to more bad weather.
It wasn’t until April 20, a full six days after they first became stuck, that authorities were able to locate Gullett.
Honich was part of the search party when she was found at 3 p.m. on April 20. The sheriff’s department’s press release said that when deputies came upon the vehicle, Gullett emerged, emotional but physically okay.
Gullett’s told investigators the same story as Honich about how the pair got stuck in the first place. It was then that Gullett relayed her story of surviving on a yoghurt a day and eating snow for water.
Frustratingly, Gullett said that prior to being found, she had seen a forest service helicopter flying overhead. Due to it being in a heavily wooded area, she was not found at that point.
Deputies said Gullett was not injured and was later evaluated by medical personnel, KTXL reported.
