Missing California Hiker Update: Woman Found Safe, Escaped After Threats From Man With Knife

Search and rescue teams in California on Monday found a hiker alive who had been missing for four days. The missing woman revealed that a knife-wielding man was the reason behind her disappearance.

Sheryl Powell, 60, of Huntington Beach, California, had spent a weekend of camping with her husband in the state’s White Mountains near the Nevada border. She had taken her dog out for a walk Friday and within hours was reported missing by her husband. State rescue teams began a ground and air search for Powell over the weekend that lasted until Monday.

Authorities first located Powell’s dog Monday morning, followed by Powell a few hours later. She was promptly treated at a nearby hospital for dehydration and superficial injuries.

Powell on Tuesday appeared on NBC’s "Today" where she said a “burly” man armed with a knife had confronted her while she had stopped to use a bathroom.

She recalled the many saying to her: "The first thing that's going to happen here, I'm going to use this knife on the dog, and then if you don't let me have my way with you, I'll use it on you."

Powell said she tried to remain calm so as not to further incite the man. She made a break with her dog when the man gave her an opening to escape.

“He was pursuing me,” Powell said. “I had to concentrate on how to get through this.”

Powell then spent the next few days eating cactus fruit and drinking from a clean spring she found. Her husband also revealed that she was able to keep warm unused doggie bags to keep warm during the cold nights in the area. She also avoided rattlesnakes that are known to have been spotted in the area.

CNN had reported Monday that Powell was dehydrated but in good condition.

The Inyo County Sheriff’s Office said they “actively investigating the circumstances surrounding the disappearance.”