Mom Missing In Wilderness For 4 Days Found Alive With Dog And Has A Shocking Survival Story To Tell

Jul 26, 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 Miley with them for the trip.

According to NBC News, the trouble started when Joseph went to move their car up to their camping spot. Sheryl stayed with Miley to give their four-legged friend a much-needed bathroom break and see a little bit of the nature surrounding their campsite. Sheryl told the news outlet a "burly" man approached her with a knife and said, "The first thing that's going to happen here, I'm going to use this knife on the dog, and then if you don't let me have my way with you, I'll use it on you." 

However, Sheryl told the news outlet that she was able to break free from the man and run away but the attacker continued to pursue her into the wilderness, where she later became lost. 

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When Joseph returned to the campsite, he was shocked to discover that both Sheryl and Miley were nowhere to be seen. For the next four days, rescue teams scoured over the mountains searching for Sheryl and Miley. "I was beginning to progressively lose hope each day... I was half a man," Joseph said to NBC. 

Slugging it out in difficult terrain, it was not until July 15, four days after Sheryl and Miley disappeared, that authorities finally found them. 

"I was a canyon over. I wasn’t even in the area they were searching at first,” Sheryl said. “That was disheartening.” Nevertheless, Sheryll was taken to a hospital where she was treated for dehydration. The Inyo Country Sheriff's Office wrote on their facebook page, "Searchers describe her as resilient and strong but exhausted after being lost in an extremely remote area above Big Pine, CA."

Sheryl said she was able to survive by eating cactus fruit and drinking water from a spring. 

“That was harrowing, luckily I’m here, I’m happy to be back with my family, happy to be here to tell my story. I didn’t know if I’d make it.” Sheryl said to NBC. Upon hearing Sheryl had been found, her husband said it was "the happiest day of my life." He also added that the first thing Sheryl wanted when after being found was "a cold kombucha." 

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.