Emergency Room Technician Swims Through Floodwater To Make It to Work After Sandy

TOMS RIVER, NJ – An emergency room technician, in order to make it to her shift the day after Sandy hit, swam part of the way there through the floodwaters.

According to NBC News , Marsha Hedgepeth was incredibly determined to make it to her 3 pm shift at Community Medical Center hospital the day after Sandy hit the East coast. Hedgepeth said, ‘Can’t’ isn’t in my vocabulary, so I knew I was going to make it.”

However, when Hedgepeth looked outside, her neighborhood was dark and completely flooded. The Barnegat Bay had poured 10-foot waves on to her street overnight and the streetlights were out.

Hedgepeth waited until sunrise until she set off with a plan. She said:

“I dove into water, and I couldn’t see the steps I was walking down because they were covered in water. So I said the easiest way to get there is just swim until I reach the ground.”

Hedgepeth was dressed in jeans and sneakers. She also bundled up in a scarf, hat, and mittens before swimming about 200 yards. This is the equivalent of swimming about four lengths of an Olympic-sized pool.

While swimming, Hedgepeth navigated through the debris and carryied her scrubs in a grocery bag.

She hitched a ride with some utility workers when she got to the highway. She arrived to work six hours before her shift.

Hospital administrators say it’s a testament to Hedgepeth’s hard work and resilience. Administrative director at Community Medical Center Teri Kubiel said:

“To suffer such a tragedy and have to endure the extreme weather we had experienced on the Jersey Shore that day — we can’t say enough of how proud we are of her and that she is safe.”

Hedgepeth said this about her swimming session:

“It wasn’t the safest thing I’ve ever done in my life. In hindsight, would I do it again? No. Would I always make it to the hospital to do my shift? Absolutely.”