Missing Wanderer And Dog Found Alive, Reunited With Loved Ones: 'Resilient And Strong But Exhausted'

Jul 24, 2019 by apost team

The story of a woman and her dog who were lost in the California woods is being celebrated as a testament to the human spirit of persistence and resilience. Sheryl and Joseph Powell traveled to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest for a fun weekend of camping on July 12. The Huntington Beach couple also brought their beloved Yorkipoo Mikey with them for the relaxing trip.

Around 1 P.M. that day, Sheryl and Joseph found a campsite they liked near Grandview Campground. As Joseph went to move their car, Sheryl stayed with Mikey to give their four-legged friend a much-needed bathroom break. When Joseph returned to the campsite, he was shocked to discover that both Sheryl and Mikey were nowhere to be seen.

Stricken with panic, Joseph searched for Sheryl and Mikey for over an hour. Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Joseph contacted local law enforcement using a satellite phone. The Inyo County Sheriff’s Department quickly responded, launching a full-scale search and rescue operation. Slugging it out in difficult terrain, it was not until July 15, four days after Sheryl and Mikey disappeared, that authorities got their first big break in the case.

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Posting to their Facebook at 11:30 in the morning, police representatives confirmed that Mikey had been found about two and a half miles from the spot that he and Sheryl had disappeared from on July 12. The little dog was alive and in good shape. Later in the day, at 2 P.M., the sheriff’s department was happy to report that Sheryl had also been found alive. Rescuers described Sheryl as exhausted, but extremely strong and resilient. The 60-year-old woman was lost in a very remote area near Big Pine. Sheryl and Joseph’s son Greg later relayed further details on his mother’s disappearance in a Facebook post.

Greg told that after Joseph left Sheryl and Mikey at the campground, Sheryl went to relieve herself behind a tree. Sheryl was then approached by a middle-aged man wielding a knife. Shouting disrespectful comments at her and threatening her, the man grabbed Sheryl. Convinced that she was about to be raped, Sheryl fought-off the man, running down a hill and hiding from her attacker. In a heartbreaking moment, Sheryl actually heard Joseph calling for her but was too scared to go to him for fear of alerting her attacker to her presence.

To avoid her attacker, Sheryl stayed off paths in the woods and only moved at night. While avoiding her attacker, Sheryl soon found herself lost. Ever resourceful, Sheryl drank from stagnant pools of water and ate cactus fruit. Despite all of her survival skills, Sheryl quickly became dehydrated, forced to crawl when she no longer had the strength to walk.

In all of her deprivations, Sheryl’s mind was nevertheless focused on the wellbeing of Mikey. Greatly weakened, Sheryl tried to tie up Mikey near a pool of water so he could have a fighting chance, but the plucky pooch was having none of it. Slipping his leash, Mikey remained by Sheryl’s side, helping rescuers find his loving owner. When an ambulance finally reached her, Sheryl expressed her regret for the anguish she put her family through over the course of those long four days.

Sheryl’s family is just happy to have her back. Farrah, Sheryl’s daughter, wrote of the rescue with exuberance on Facebook, thanking everyone for all their support. Farrah also said that those who donated to the GoFundMe for Sheryl would get a full refund. The family raised about $40,000 for rescue efforts through the website.

What do you think of the way Sheryl survived for four days in the California wilderness while eluding her attacker? Would you be able to survive such a scenario? Let us know in the comments and be sure to pass this article along.