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Mass. National Guard Rescues Elderly Woman Stranded In Hot Car For Days

LAKEHURST, N.J. (CBS/AP) — Members of the Massachusetts Army National Guard made a shocking find in the New Jersey woods where they were training--an 87-year-old woman who had been stuck for days.

Jeannette Haskins had left her home in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey Saturday morning to visit her daughter near Baltimore.

On that same weekend, the soldiers were training at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.

What they didn't know was that Haskins had become lost before her Cadillac got stuck in the sand way off the beaten path.

Her cell phone was dead, and she was in the middle of nowhere. In 100-degree weather, she ran the air conditioner in her car until it ran out of gas.

haskins
Haskins spoke to WBZ-TV via Skype Friday. (WBZ-TV)

More than 48 hours went by. She drank rainwater from thunderstorms to survive. And by Monday afternoon, she had given up hope and was blacking out. That's when those Massachusetts National Guardsmen found her.

"I hadn't seen anybody in the whole time I was there, and I knew I wouldn't last another day," Haskins told WBZ-TV. "So I had just gotten in my car, and I passed out, and then when I came to, there were these faces there, these wonderful faces. The men, they had found me."

The soldiers were on a scouting mission when they found the car deep in a wooded area Monday afternoon, the Guard said. The car's doors were open, and there was a sunshade in the windshield.

The soldiers found the 87-year-old woman slumped over in the backseat. She remained unresponsive after they honked the horn several times, but she awoke when a soldier approached.

"At first we didn't know what to think of it because it was suspicious," said Staff Sgt. Dana Francis, of G Co. 186th Brigade Support Battalion.

"We were thinking the worst," said Sgt. Tommy Coppola, who spotted the car along with Francis.

Francis and Coppola, who are civilian firefighters, went back to the training area and sought the help of two medics, Spec. John Shively and Pfc. Aaron Amardey-Wellington. The four returned to the car and helped the woman into a military ambulance.

The 26th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade conduct individual movement training during their annual training, at Camp Edwards training site Joint Base Cape Cod, July 26, 2016.

Posted by Massachusetts National Guard — The Nation's First on Tuesday, July 26, 2016

She suffered extreme dehydration and possibly heat illness, officials said. Her condition has improved significantly.

"It was the most wonderful feeling in my life," Haskins said. "I owe so much to them."

The soldiers, who gave her water, put her on oxygen, and got her to a hospital, have been praised for their actions.

"It was by chance that the contact team was traveling down this remote tank trail and came across the elderly woman. Their response and quick action are just another example of what being a citizen-soldier is about," Lt. Col. Holloway said in a statement.

(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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