'Could hardly get up,' Easton police describe saving woman trapped in mud
EASTON - A Stoughton woman is safe after she went missing for more than a week. She told Easton Police officers she was stuck in swamp mud for three days at Borderland State Park. The officers who rescued her are now telling their story.
"At the time we showed up, we couldn't see her, but we could hear her," tells Easton Police Officer Corey McLaughlin, "When we saw her lying there, we did initially try to pick her up, but the weight of her on top of our body weight sunk us further."
Emma Tetewsky went missing on June 26, and didn't have her cellphone with her. Officers from Stoughton Police combed the region for days. Eventually hikers heard Emma's cries for help and called 911. Three Easton police officers showed up, but they had no idea she had been missing until after the rescue. She was found lying in the fetal position in a swamp 50 feet off of a trail. The officers tried to get her, but quickly began sinking in the muck. When other equipment didn't work, they formed a line to pull her out.
"I fell in and could hardly get up. There was a little tree where I could grab it to get myself back up, but it took me 20 seconds to get my feet out of the mud," explains Easton Police Officer Jason Wheeler.
"I can't really speculate on how she got there, or why she was there but, when we were briefly in there, it was clear to see how someone could be stuck there," tells Officer McLaughlin.
First responders would not elaborate on her injuries, however WBZ's Paul Burton spoke with Emma's family after the rescue. They say she is recovering, and that she suffered from severe dehydration.
"It's going to take a long time for her to heal physically and emotionally. But she's OK and it's miraculous that they found her," says Emma's family members who asked to remain anonymous.
Easton firefighters were able to carry Emma roughly 100 feet out of the woods using a stokes basket, which is similar to a stretcher.
