A Massachusetts woman who has been missing for days now has reportedly been found alive in a state park, having been stuck in mud for three days, local law enforcement officials said. That sounds pretty terrifying. When you think of mud, you mostly think of it as being an inconvenient mess trudged through the house by kids and dogs, not as being a threat to your life.
According to Leif Le Mahieu of the Daily Wire, “Emma Tetewsky, 31, was discovered in Borderland State Park, a 1,800-acre park south of Boston, days after going missing. She was rescued by first responders after hikers heard her crying for help.”
“Emma was found by hikers passing by. The hikers were unable to reach her on foot without assistance. They notified Easton Police and directed them to her location,” Stoughton police went on to say in a statement on Facebook. “Utilizing ATV’s, Easton PD undertook rescue efforts to reach Emma and free her as she was stuck in the mud for several days. Emma was conscious and alert and she was taken by ambulance to a local hospital for observation.”
Tetewsky was stuck in a swampy area after members of her family reported she was missing on June 27. Authorities stated that the 31-year-old woman had a “history of mental health challenges,” and was not carrying a cell phone at the time.
“Upon arrival, Easton officers heard Tetewsky but could not see her. Three officers waded 50 feet from the shore, through thick brush and swamp, to reach Tetewsky,” the police stated in a press release.
“I’d like to commend our Easton officers, who blindly jumped into the water and followed the woman’s calls for help,” Easton Police Chief Keith Boone remarked. “Their immediate action resulted in saving Emma Tetewsky.”
A total of six different ponds exist on the grounds of Borderlands State Park, which is located near the towns of Sharon and Easton. After being rescued from the mud, Tetewsky was transported to Good Samaritan Hospital in Brockton.
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The report revealed that the effort to rescue the woman went across several different agencies including, “the Easton Police Department, the Easton Fire Department, the Stoughton Fire Department, Massachusetts State Police, METRO-LEC, the Norfolk County Sheriff’s Department, and the Quincy Police Department.”
Donna M. McNamara, the chief of police in Stoughton, issued a public statement of thanks for the help of the community, noting their efforts to save Tetewsky likely would not have been successful without the assistance.
“As expected, Easton Police officers rose to the occasion,” Easton Fire Chief Alexander commented in the statement. “We value our close relationship with Easton Police, which makes rescues like this possible.”
Something that never ceases to amaze me is how complete and total stranger can put aside their own lives, schedules, and sense of personal safety in order to go out and find someone who is missing. It’s a beautiful thing. All that matters in those moments is finding someone and ensuring they continue to live the life they have been gifted. We all recognize how precious life is, and how fleeting and easily taken away from us it can be. Let’s hope the heroics of folks in Massachusetts spreads abroad.
Featured Image Credit: Stoughton Police