'It Is Definitely a Miracle': Teen Found Safe After Missing for 8 Days in Woods

A young Washington woman is home safe with her family after being lost in the woods for more than a week.

Search and rescue crews found Giovanna "Gia" Fuda on Saturday in the wooded Cascade Mountains east of Seattle. The 18-year-old was "scraped, scratched and dehydrated, but otherwise in good health," the Seattle Times reports.

Family and friends scoured the area for days after her car was found out of gas along Highway 2 on July 25. 

Kings County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Sgt. Ryan Abbott said Fuda was sitting on a rock about one mile from where her car was located when search teams found her.

STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FREE CBN NEWS APP 
Click Here Get the App with Special Alerts on Breaking News and Top Stories

"All she said was, 'I don't know where I am'," Abbott said. "She hadn't eaten in so long that she wasn't making a lot of sense, so we just rushed her off to the hospital to get her some treatment."

"It's very rare. It is definitely a miracle and we are so thrilled that she is okay and made it out of there," Abbott added. "There has been so much support and so much interest and people wanting to help, it's nice to see."

Fuda survived for eight days on berries from the woods and water she collected from a creek. Her parents said she found shelter in nearby trees and rocks. 

"She thought she'd only been up there three days," mother Kristin Fuda said. "She'd totally lost track of time."

Family friend Jeff White said they were worried about Fuda's safety, but God's protection kept her safe.

"It's a miracle. God blessed this family today," White said. "God blessed this family today for sure. And they deserve it."

We encourage readers who wish to comment on our material to do so through our Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram accounts. God bless you and keep you in His truth.