Woman Stabbed During Tinder Date Thanks Cohasset Officers Who Helped Save Her

COHASSET (CBS) – A woman who was brutally attacked during a date with a man she met on Tinder is thanking the Cohasset Police officers who helped save her life one year ago.

This week, Maegan Tapley posted her gratitude on Facebook for the actions of Cohasset Police Officers Alex Stotik, Aaron Bates and Lt. Greg Lennon.

"A year ago today I was in hell. I went through the most excruciating pain imaginable but yet I'm still here," she wrote. "Refusing to give up, refusing to die in such pain, and refusing to leave my family saved my life but I didn't fight alone. Right when I thought it was all over I heard a faint voice calling for me, and I knew I would be saved. Thanks to these three amazing Officers, I was able to celebrate another Christmas. They may have saved my life but everyone who has shown me love and support along the way, have too."

Tapley said she was forced to go undergo several surgeries following the attack.

She had been severely beaten and slashed by Erich Stelzer, a 6'7" bodybuilder. "The wounds and trauma were not something you would ever expect to see here in Cohasset," said Cohasset paramedic Colin Roberts. "It's a quiet town."

Officers arrived at the home to hear screams and kicked in the door.

"Witnessing that level of violence to a point that I have never seen before was definitely shocking," Officer Bates said.

Police said they used a stun gun six times on Stelzer when they found him attacking and stabbing Tapley.

"He had inflicted a tremendous amount of wounds on her," Lt. Lennon said. "All manner of stab and cut wounds all over her body."

Stelzer became unresponsive and later died. His family said at the time he had been experiencing mental health issues leading up to the attack.

"Saving Maegan's life it is was just one of those things where you signed up for the job, you saved somebody's life, and it's kind of hard to comprehend that," Officer Stotik said.

Tapley is proud of how far she has come in the past year. "I'm proud of all the progress I've made so far, and it'll only get better from here! Looking forward to the New Year and having the chance to leave my mark on this world!" she wrote.