A 68-year-old woman has been dramatically rescued from a mud pit in a remote wooded area of Minnesota after reportedly being trapped for several days. Kathryn Woessner, who had been the subject of an endangered missing person alert, was discovered by two friends riding all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) on Thursday, 6 June.
Adam Sandbeck and Mike Gravalin were exploring a wooded area near Backus and Hackensack in northern Minnesota when they made the startling discovery. They found Ms Woessner almost entirely submerged in a mud puddle, with only a small portion of her face visible. She had last been seen on 3 June, and told her rescuers she had slipped and fallen into the approximately two-foot-deep puddle after her vehicle became stuck.
Prior to her discovery, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office had issued an alert, expressing concern for Ms Woessner's safety due to her medical conditions and the fact she had no personal belongings with her. The area where she was found had reportedly been flooded following recent storms, making conditions particularly challenging.
Mr Gravalin described coming across a van in an unlikely location deep within the woods, which piqued their curiosity. Mr Sandbeck recounted the moment they spotted Ms Woessner, initially believing she was deceased. He stated that they could see a body in the puddle next to the van, but then she whispered, 'Help me,' which alerted them to her being alive. Ms Woessner later described the mud as being like 'quicksand', making it impossible for her to escape.
The two men quickly pulled Ms Woessner from the mud, an effort they said took less than 30 minutes. They then called emergency services, and paramedics transported her to a nearby hospital. Local officials have since indicated that Ms Woessner is expected to make a full recovery from the ordeal. The rescuers reflected on the unlikely nature of their discovery, noting they had never previously explored the specific trail where she was found in eight years of riding in the area.