PORT ST. LUCIE, Florida (WPBF) \u2014 Video captured the moment both officials and a neighbor rescued a woman found stuck in the mangroves of the St. Lucie River.<\/p>\n
Kelly Marie Catrambone was rescued Tuesday night after a nearly 12-hour search for the 37-year-old. Catrambone was last seen on Friday before being officially reported missing on Monday.<\/p>\n
WPBF 25 News spoke with both the Port St. Lucie Police Department and Herb Yancy, the neighbor who helped rescue Catrambone.<\/p>\n
According to the PSLPD, several of Catrambone\u2019s belongings were found on Tuesday morning near the 700 block of Northeast Emerson Street, along the St. Lucie River.<\/p>\n
The police department deployed its dive team, marine unit, canines and more around 10:30 a.m. to begin searching the area. The belief was that Catrambone might have entered the water.<\/p>\n
After searching until dark, the search was postponed until morning. However, Master Sgt. Dominick Mesiti said a handful of officers stayed on scene.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout 9 p.m. last night, one of our drone operators was operating the drone and could faintly hear a woman screaming for help. They were having a hard time determining where the scream was coming from. Simultaneously, we also had a citizen call 911 saying the same thing,\u201d Mesiti said.<\/p>\n
Officers quickly jumped into action and noticed a boat docked nearby. The boat belongs to Herb Yancy, who had just been watching the news and knew of the search.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey came around the house and to the front door, didn\u2019t get a chance to knock, I opened up the door, said, \u2018Hey guys.\u2019 The first thing they said was, \u2018You got a boat?\u2019 and I said, \u2018Yeah, let\u2019s go.\u2019 So we did, and it was really fast, just like that,\u201d Yancy told WPBF.<\/p>\n
The officers got on Yancy\u2019s pontoon, and he drove them around to where they could hear the faint calls for help.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe could hear a little whimper, and over the course of probably 20-30 minutes, we heard that whimper three or four times, and each time we got a little closer to her. The whole time she was moving closer to the edge of the island, and one of the policemen jumped in the water and all brought her aboard,\u201d Yancy said.<\/p>\n
Catrambone was found approximately two to three hundred feet across the river from where officials were originally looking for her. He said the mangroves made it impossible for officers or drones to see her.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was stuck within about two feet of water within the mangroves, like deep in the mangroves, and in that muddy, kind of mucky water. She was just weak, dehydrated, and couldn\u2019t move,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He said it\u2019s still unclear how long she was out there and why she went into the water. Catrambone was brought to shore and taken to the hospital, where she\u2019s recovering.<\/p>\n
Mesiti and Yancy said they\u2019re both shocked and thankful she\u2019s OK.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were not anticipating a positive outcome. We were prepared for the worst, so it was a relief that she was actually out there still alive,\u201d Mesiti said.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy thoughts were this isn\u2019t gonna be good, so we were all thrilled to see that she was still alive,\u201d Yancy said.<\/p>\n
Yancy noted how dangerous the river can be, specifically because of the alligators.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe see a lot of gators like a Tarzan movie,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s very lucky, very lucky. Depending on whether it\u2019s just a day in the water, a few hours in the water \u2014 she\u2019s very lucky to be alive,\u201d Mesiti added.<\/p>\n
Catrambone\u2019s following sent WPBF 25 News the following statement:<\/p>\n
\u201cOur family would like to offer our deepest gratitude to the Port St. Lucie Police Department, including the detectives, search and rescue divers, drone team, and K9 officers, for their quick and extraordinary efforts in locating and rescuing our sister. We are incredibly thankful for their professionalism, teamwork, and compassion during such a frightening time. Thanks to their swift response, our sister is now safe and recovering well. We cannot express how grateful we are for the heroes who worked tirelessly to bring her home.\u201d<\/p>\n
The-CNN-Wire\u2122 & \u00a9 2025 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n
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