A California woman who went missing for four days in the remote White Mountains near the Nevada border claims “a big, burly, baldheaded, tanned skin” knife-wielding guy chased her into the backcountry. Sheryl Powell, 60, of Huntington Beach, told ABC’s Good Morning America the man confronted her with the knife while she was walking her dog as her husband set up their campsite.
“All of a sudden some guy pops out from behind a tree or something,” Powell said, describing the incident she said led to her disappearance. “It was scary, I was really very nervous about the fact he was threatening to do my dog harm.”
She said his initial approach, “scared me enough to act pretty docile and let him think I was going to go along with him.” She also told NBC she bolted as soon as she had the chance. She said she was able to run away from the man Friday, and survived by drinking water from a small spring.
Her disappearance began four days of investigation and searching by the Inyo County Sheriff’s Department. Late Monday morning, searchers reported finding the dog about 2.5 miles from the campground. A short while later they found Powell, alive but exhausted.
“We’re grateful that Mrs. Powell and her dog were found alive and well,” the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office reported on Facebook. “Our office is actively investigating the circumstances surrounding her disappearance. We have no further information at this time.”
The Inyo County Sheriff’s Department says investigators are continuing to work on the case, but they haven’t reported further details with suspect or vehicle descriptions or warned people to avoid the area. Anyone who may have been in the area and witnessed anything is urged to call the Inyo County Sheriff’s Department at (760) 878-0383 and press option 4.
