A 24-year-old woman who told her family she wanted to return to Sacramento went missing but was later found severely dehydrated and emaciated after surviving nearly two weeks in harsh conditions

A woman from California who went missing for 12 days in the wilderness was found alive and rescued..

On Friday, September 6, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that 24-year-old Esmeralda Marie Pineda had been located. Pineda had been camping with her friends near the Yuba River and Sweetland Creek, an area about 60 miles from Sacramento.

She was last seen on August 25 when she told her friends she wanted to go back home to Sacramento. The next day, her friends noticed she was gone and started searching for her. When they couldn’t find her, they reported her missing that same day.

The sheriff’s office and their Search and Rescue team immediately began looking for her. By August 28, they also shared missing person posters on social media, asking for the public’s help. The last confirmed sighting of Pineda was on August 26 at a mining camp near the Yuba River and Sweetland Creek.

The area where she went missing is known to be dangerous and very difficult to navigate. Rescue crews described the terrain as “treacherous,” with steep cliffs and no clear trails. Despite the challenges, volunteers and rescue teams worked tirelessly to find her. They used specialized equipment like ropes to go in and out of the canyon.

On September 6, around 12:40 p.m., Sgt. Dustin Moe and his partner were searching the mountainous area using an off-road vehicle called a Razor. While driving through the difficult terrain, they finally spotted Pineda. Although her condition wasn’t fully known, she was extremely weak, severely dehydrated, and very thin from not eating enough food.

Shortly after she was found, a rescue helicopter from the California Highway Patrol and the North San Juan Fire Department arrived to airlift her out of the canyon. By 1:20 p.m., she was safely taken to a hospital for treatment.

Authorities said she had survived in a remote area that most people avoid because of how hard it is to access. Sgt. Moe explained that Pineda likely had to climb an 800-foot vertical slope using her hands and feet to get out of the canyon, which is extremely dangerous and exhausting.

In their final report, the sheriff’s office expressed their gratitude to everyone who helped in the search. Sgt. Moe added, “The Sheriff’s Office and our search and rescue volunteers worked hard and covered a lot of difficult ground. We are thankful to have found her alive and brought her back to safety.”

Pineda’s survival in such harsh conditions is remarkable, and the search efforts show how much work went into bringing her home. Authorities and volunteers were relieved and thankful for the happy outcome.