Northern California woman found alive after being stranded in snowy area for 10 days

A Northern California woman who had been stranded in the snow for more than a week was found alive.

Sheryl Donovan made a wrong turn on her way to work and became stranded on a snowy mountain for 10 days. She ran out of gas and had no cell service to call for help.

The 54-year-old grandmother said she is still trying to learn where it all went wrong.

Her daughter, Ashley Ehlert, who is caring for her, said her mother used extra clothes in her SUV to keep from freezing to death and only had a single bottle of water.

"We've spoken with my mom. (She's giving her story) to us at a little bit at a time. I'm sure everyone can understand that this has been extremely traumatic," Ehlert said. "(My mother) said she'd sparsely drink the water...she did eat some snow."

Donovan was found near Camptonville, an area in Sierra County and a long way from her home in Marysville. Lt. Robert Bringolf said search and rescue teams had been focusing on other routes in their search.

"We're really, really, really happy that it did not turn out another way," he said.

Ehlert said her mother was found when she got out of her SUV and walked a mile to find a road. That's when a good Samaritan spotted her.

While Donovan is OK, authorities were not able to get her SUV out of the snow just yet. They will go back soon to get it.