Woman Rescued After Getting Stuck in the Lassen Snow for 6 Days
On April 14, Sheena Gullett of Little Valley was separated from her companion after their truck stalled on the snowy forest road near Highway 44 in Lassen County. She survived stuck in the snow for six days by rationing yogurt and eating snow before authorities were able to rescue her.
Gullett and friend Justin Lonich were driving to Little Valley on a dirt road when their truck got stuck in the heavy snow. They spent the night in the truck and decided to hike to Highway 44 in the morning. On their journey to the highway, the two became separated due to heavy snowfall. Lonich was able to find shelter and build a fire before reaching the highway on April 17, hitching a ride to Susanville and reporting Gullet missing.
The sheriff’s office along with the U.S. Forest Service and California Highway Patrol conducted daily searches for Gullett in the heavy snow on the ground and using a helicopter. Eventually, they found her on Wednesday, April 20.
“She was very emotional, but physically okay,” said the Lassen County Sheriff in a statement. “She related the same details as Justin did as to how they became separated. During the six days Sheena was stranded, she rationed a six-pack of yogurt, eating one per day. She did not have any water and had been eating snow.”
According to Gullett, she had seen and heard the helicopter overhead but they were unable to see her to the the heavily forested area and heavy snow. Her ability to ration yogurt and use snow to stay hydrated is one of the main reasons she was able to survive the ordeal.
