DENNIS, Mass. (MyFoxBoston.com) -- A firefighter saved the life of an elderly woman in Dennis Monday after she spent hours in dangerously cold temperatures.
Mary Atkins is in stable condition Tuesday night recovering from life-threatening hypothermia. The 85-year-old was stuck in the ice and snow, in dangerously cold temperatures for hours Monday night, and only survived thanks to her neighbors at the fire house next door.
Atkins fell when she returned home from having dinner Monday night at about 5:30 p.m.
"I knew when I was pulling in there that I had seen this lump of ice and snow, but I thought I could get around it," she said.
She went on to say she just decided to take a chance and "came part of the way and all of a sudden I came the rest of the way and that's where I went right down." And where she fell, she stayed, for about three and a half hours. She said she tried everything to get up, but couldn't.
Atkins lives on Main Street, next to the West Dennis fire station. At about 9 p.m. Firefighter Geoffrey Mulholland heard what appeared to be a faint cry for help from the second floor window of the station.
He alerted other firefighters and they responded next door to find Atkins', her clothes were frozen to the ground. Her vital signs indicated she was in a life threatening situation from hypothermia.
"She was covered in snow, when we moved her it was like her whole back side was frozen solid," Mulholland said.
He went on to say, "She was in serious need of medical aid. If she'd been out there much longer it would've been a different outcome."
She was treated at the scene and transported to hospital, where they've seen 9 hypothermia cases in the last three weeks.
"I'm still tingling on my fingertips," she said.
Atkins knows it was a very close call, but she is reportedly in stable condition Tuesday and very thankful for her heroes next door.
"They were wonderful. Absolutely wonderful," she said.