Woman missing in Fresno County mountains found alive. She hadn’t been seen since April
A woman from Georgia who went missing last month while on a bicycle tour in the Sierra Nevada of Central California was found alive Wednesday.
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office said 27-year-old Tiffany Slaton was found at Lake Edison in eastern Fresno County after an owner of Vermilion Valley Resort checked on his property near the lake and found one of the cabins occupied by Slaton.
The owner knew of the ongoing search for Slaton, who’s from Jeffersonville, Georgia, and her description. He then called deputies.
Deputies traveled to Kaiser Pass Road and met with the owner, who had driven Slaton out to the staging point. Deputies confirmed it to be Slaton.
Paramedics examined Slaton and found she was dehydrated and in good condition.
She was taken to a hospital for further treatment and observation.
Slaton’s parents were told that their daughter was found safe.
Said Bobby Slaton during a Zoom call with media: “She said, ‘Dad, I’m alive and I’m sorry. But I’m alive and I wanted to call you and let you know that I’m alive.’”
Bobby Slaton said he asked his daughter, “Who (is) this?”
“She said, ‘This is Tiffany.’ That was it. I thank God for that moment. Our prayers were answered.”
Tiffany’s parents said their daughter’s birthday is Thursday.
Access to Kaiser Pass Road
Kaiser Pass Road — which goes over its namesake pass at about 9,100 feet elevation and ends at Lake Edison, at about 7,600 feet elevation — had been impassable to vehicles due to the snowpack.
Snowplows cleared the road on Wednesday, which allowed the resort owner to access his property so he could begin preparations to open it up to the public for the summer season, spokesperson Tony Botti said.
The owner said he had left a cabin unlocked as a precaution in case someone who was lost needed to find shelter and increase their chances of surviving the “outdoor elements and harsh weather.”
Tiffany Slaton found in Fresno County mountains
Slaton was reported missing by her parents April 29 after they had not heard from her since April 20. Slaton had gone to the mountains of Fresno County on an electric bicycle with a trailer and camping gear and planned to visit Mono Hot Springs, a spot off Kaiser Pass Road about seven miles from Lake Edison.
The last sighting of Slaton had been south of Shaver Lake near the old Cressman’s General Store on April 24.
There had been no confirmed sightings since then, Botti said.
From May 6 to May 10, deputies conducted an operation in the mountains looking for Slaton. The search spanned nearly 600 square miles, stretching from Mono Hot Springs to Wishon Reservoir, and from Pine Flat Lake to Auberry and all areas in between, Botti said.
SAR equipment had been unable to make it to the road at Kaiser Pass because of snow, and the search had recently been scaled back.
The SAR helicopter had searched at Mono Hot Springs and Lake Edison areas, but the crew never found any trace of Slaton or her belongings.
This story was originally published May 14, 2025 at 6:30 PM.
