A woman of 68 has been found alive and rescued from a snow-covered car in California after six searches, according to the Butte County Sheriff's Office, 80 miles north of Sacramento and on the slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain range.
Paula Beth James had been last seen Thursday in Oroville, the county's capital. Local authorities explained that he may have become disoriented, since he suffers from dementia, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
A police helicopter spotted an SUV on Wednesday near the remote town of Butte Meadowsm at 4,430 feet, which matched the woman's Toyota 4Runner car description.
Inside the vehicle, covered by snow, James was rescued, who was conscious and in good condition. It is unknown how long he had been trapped there.
The meteorological authorities had advised against traveling to this town due to the arrival of a heavy snowstorm and falling temperatures, at a minimum of 30 degrees Fahrenheit.
"It's wonderful news, it's the outcome we all expected," said Megan McMann, spokesman for the Sheriff's Office, especially concerned about the impending snowstorm.
Jones' stepdaughter, Laura Powell, said they had practically lost hope of finding her alive: "It was literally a miracle that they found her just in time," he told the local KTXL station.
"I thought we were doomed," he added.
Also read:
This man was trapped more than 20 days in a remote area of Alaska. An SOS signal in the snow saved him
