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Missing Inyo County Camper Found Alive; Says Knife-Wielding Man Chased Her Off Trail

BIG PINE, Inyo County (CBS / AP) — Authorities say a woman missing since Friday in California's rugged White Mountains has been found alive and taken to a hospital. Her family said she became lost after running away from a man with a knife.

The Inyo County Sheriff's Office says searchers found 60-year-old Sheryl Powell on Monday in remote terrain above the town of Big Pine. Her husband reported Friday that after they selected a site in the Grandview Campground she took their dog for a walk while he repositioned their Jeep.

Sheryl Powell
Sheryl Powell of Orange County was last seen at the Grandview Campground in Inyo County on July 12, 2019. (CBS)

Hours before Powell was found, officials reported finding her dog in the same general area.

Powell's family says she got lost after being chased off a trail by a man with a knife. Her son told ABC News that Powell left the campsite to take her dog for a short walk. Greg Powell says his mother told him she was chased by a knife-wielding man and got lost running away from him.

Powell's husband said his wife was is an experienced hiker. Officials described Powell as "resilient and strong but exhausted."

A photo from the hospital shows a smiling Powell in bed surrounded by grinning family members.

Inyo County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Carma Roper says investigators have determined the husband is not connected to his wife's disappearance.

Grandview Campground is at an elevation of 8,600 feet (2,621 meters) near the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, 230 miles (370 kilometers) north of Los Angeles and 230 miles southeast of San Francisco.

 

© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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