Missing hiker found in Sierra Nevada recovering from surgery

FRESNO — The family of a woman who was rescued after being stranded in the rugged Sierra Nevada for nine days said Sunday that she is recovering from surgery to set the broken bones on her lower left leg.

Miyuki Harwood's family said in a statement that she has asked for "uninterrupted rest and quiet."

Harwood, 62, was found Saturday morning in a remote area of the Sierra National Forest after she used a whistle to get the attention of a search and rescue team looking for her.

To survive, Harwood crawled for about two days from where she was injured to a creek where she could scoop water into a bottle with a filter inside.

She was in good spirits but exhausted when she was admitted at a Fresno hospital, her family said.

"Miyuki desires, above all else, uninterrupted rest and quiet," they said. "The best way to express your care and concern is to be patient and delay all means of contacting her."

More than 50 search and rescue personnel who helped search for Harwood were safely airlifted from the area Sunday, The Fresno County Sheriff's Office said.

The search for Harwood was hampered by thick smoke from a wildfire that has burned 96 square miles nearby in the Kings Canyon National Park, authorities said.

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This story has been corrected to refer to the Fresno County Sheriff's Office, not department.