A woman from Sacramento, who had been missing for 12 days, was found last week “severely dehydrated and malnourished,” according to law enforcement.

On September 6, deputies from the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office discovered Esmeralda Pineda, 24, who had gone missing on August 26 while visiting a mining claim campsite with three friends in Nevada City, California, according to a statement from the sheriff’s office.

“It’s a miracle she’s alive, and we appreciate that our team was able to locate her in time,” stated Ashley Quadros, a spokesperson for the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office. Pineda is currently hospitalized but is “recovering well under the circumstances.”

After her rescue, she was airlifted to a hospital for care and was reported to be in stable condition as of Monday afternoon, Quadros informed YSL News.

Where was Pineda found?

On Friday, at 12:41 p.m. local time, Pineda was discovered at the top of a canyon near the Yuba River and Sweetland Creek in Nevada City, approximately 73 miles northeast of Sacramento, as reported by police.

She required urgent medical attention and was airlifted from the canyon by 1:20 p.m. and transported to a local hospital. The North San Juan Fire Department also responded to assist with her medical care.

When Pineda initially went missing, authorities speculated that she may have been attempting to return to the Sacramento area.

She disappeared in a ‘dangerous’ area

The search for Pineda commenced the very day she went missing in an area described by police as “dangerous by nature.”

After reaching the mining camp with her friends, Pineda expressed a desire to leave and head back to Sacramento. The following morning, she departed, seemingly aiming to walk back to the city.

“She appeared confident in her ability to navigate out of [the] Canyon, but when she realized she was lost, she tried to return to her friends but couldn’t find them,” Quadros explained.

Officials remain uncertain about how Pineda managed to survive during her ordeal.

She likely relied on “natural resources, as far as we can determine,” added Quadros. However, police have yet to interview her due to her ongoing recovery.

Extensive search efforts

The woman’s friend made attempts to guide police back to their campsite, but they were unable to successfully locate it, complicating the search efforts.

The Nevada County Sheriff’s search and rescue volunteers had to “rappel in and out of the canyon” to search for her.

“The Sheriff’s Office and our search and rescue teams covered significant ground throughout the operation, and we are thankful today that we were able to find her alive,” stated NCSO Sergeant Dustin Moe.

When she was found, two deputies were actively searching the more rugged regions of the area for her.