Woman with dementia who went missing for a week found alive in snow-stranded SUV

Joshua Bote | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Missing woman with dementia found alive in snow-covered car A 68-year-old California woman who suffers from dementia and had been missing for six days was found alive in her snow-covered car.

A California woman with dementia who went missing for nearly a week was found alive in her SUV, stranded in the snow.

Paula Beth James, 68, was rescued Wednesday after a Butte County Sheriff's Office helicopter spotted a Toyota 4Runner SUV covered in snow in Butte Meadows, a remote rural area, according to a release from the sheriff's office.

James went missing Jan. 9 from her home in Oroville, 20 miles south of Paradise – the location of the Camp Fires, the statement said.

“Her tracks were covered in snow,” Dan Newman, a Butte County Search and Rescue captain, told KCRA-TV in Sacramento. “We knew if we were going to find her and find her alive, we were going to have to do it really quickly.”

After two sheriff's office employees hiked to the vehicle, about 150 yards off the road, they found her alive and in good spirits, KCRA reported. It was unclear how long she was in the vehicle.

James was transported to a hospital, where she is in stable condition, according to the release.

"We are all grateful for this fortunate outcome and wish her a speedy recovery," the sheriff's office wrote.

The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning in the area through Friday, cautioning drivers about gusty winds and heavy snow.

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