Esmeralda Marie Pineda, a 24-year-old woman from Sacramento, California, was found in the wilderness near Nevada City after going missing for 12 days. She was severely dehydrated, emaciated, and suffering from sun exposure when she was discovered by the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office. Pineda required immediate medical attention, and was airlifted to a hospital for treatment. The extent of her injuries is unknown at this time.
Pineda had gone missing from a mining camp near the Yuba River and Sweetland Creek where she had been camping with friends. When her friends woke up, she was gone, prompting a search effort by the sheriff’s office and search and rescue volunteers. The area where she was found was treacherous and required skilled volunteers to rappel into the canyon to search for her.
Moe, a sergeant with the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office, stated that Pineda’s survival instincts and luck likely played a role in her ability to survive alone in the wilderness for nearly two weeks. Despite the challenging conditions, she managed to climb to the top of the canyon where rescuers found her waving for help. Pineda’s friends had initially searched for her with no success, highlighting the difficulty of finding her in the rugged terrain.
Overall, Pineda’s survival and rescue are being hailed as a miracle, with officials expressing gratitude for her being found alive after such a harrowing ordeal.
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