A woman who mysteriously vanished in California‘s sweltering Death Valley has miraculously been found alive nearly nine months after she disappeared.
Kelsey Pittman, 33, from North Carolina, was discovered safe in Colorado, authorities announced on Tuesday without providing further details.
Pittman was first reported missing by her family after she stopped communicating with them in November 2024, according to the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office.
On February 9, 2025, police received a tip about a suspicious vehicle abandoned near an area frequented by campers known as ‘The Pads’ or ‘Slab City’ just off Highway 190.
Police who responded to the scene found Pittman’s 2009 Chevrolet HHR, but she was nowhere in sight.
‘This led to the initiation of an extensive missing person investigation and search effort,’ the sheriff’s office said, noting that it coordinated with several law enforcement agencies and employed drones, cadaver dogs and volunteers in the effort.
‘Despite exhaustive ground and aerial searches, no additional physical evidence was found at the site,’ the sheriff’s office said.
Authorities declined to provide additional information.
Kelsey Pittman, 33, from North Carolina , was discovered alive and safe in Colorado nearly nine months after she was reported missing
Panamint Valley looking west along Highway 190 in Death Valley, California
Pittman had last been seen in November 2024 while making contact with law enforcement in Utah
‘Out of respect for her privacy and that of her family, no further details will be released,’ the statement read.
Pittman had last been seen in November 2024 while making contact with law enforcement in Utah, the sheriff’s office said.
She was known to visit the Las Vegas area.
Her mother had stayed in contact with investigators, even visiting the area to help in the initial search.
