An 81-year-old Massachusetts woman miraculously survived after spending four terrifying hours trapped beneath her own car in the pouring rain, only to be discovered when her husband returned home and heard her desperate cries for help.
Peggy Wilbur suffered serious injuries in the frightening accident Friday, November 6, outside her home in Hingham, a coastal town about 15 miles southeast of Boston.
According to the Hingham Fire Department, the terrifying ordeal began when Peggy’s vehicle was accidentally left in neutral and started rolling.
The car struck Peggy and pinned her against a rock wall, leaving her unable to free herself or reach anyone for help.
For the next four hours, the elderly woman remained trapped outside as heavy rain poured down around her.
Her husband, Norman Wilbur, had been waiting for Peggy to pick him up, but she never arrived.
When he finally returned home by taxi that evening, he immediately sensed something was wrong.
As Norman walked around the property searching for his wife, he suddenly heard a faint voice calling for help.
“I walked around, and I heard, ‘Help. Help,'” Norman recalled to WHDH.
At first, he couldn’t figure out where the cries were coming from. Then he realized his wife was trapped beneath their vehicle.
The car had rolled so close to the rock wall that Peggy was almost completely hidden from view.
Norman immediately called 911, setting off a dramatic nighttime rescue operation.
Around 9:45 p.m., Hingham firefighters rushed to the home on Lincoln Street and discovered Peggy pinned beneath the vehicle.
Rescuers quickly realized that simply pulling her free could cause further injuries.
Instead, they deployed specialized rescue airbags and a hydraulic spreading tool to carefully lift the heavy vehicle and create enough space to remove her.
The rescue was successful, and emergency medical personnel immediately began treating Peggy.
She was rushed to South Shore Hospital with serious injuries to her chest and legs.
Fire officials said Peggy was extremely fortunate to have survived such a prolonged ordeal, particularly given the weather conditions and the amount of time she spent trapped.
Norman believes one small detail may have saved his wife’s life.
He explained that the position of the vehicle’s door helped create a narrow space between the car and the rock wall, preventing Peggy from being crushed more severely.
“If that didn’t happen, she would be in hot water,” he told WHDH.
Although Peggy faces a lengthy recovery, her husband remains hopeful that her determination will help her through the difficult weeks ahead.
“She’ll be 82 this week, so she’s no spring chicken,” Norman joked. “But she’s a tough old Irish girl.”
The Hingham Firefighters Union praised the emergency crews for their quick thinking and technical expertise during the high-pressure rescue.
“Outstanding work by Group 3 under intense pressure,” the union wrote, adding that firefighters were keeping Peggy and her family in their thoughts.
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