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One Trail Change, One Incredible Rescue: Woman Found After 3 Days Trapped in Mud

July 08, 2026

One Trail Change, One Incredible Rescue: Woman Found After 3 Days Trapped in Mud

One trail change, one incredible rescue after a woman is found three days trapped in mud. For Kathryn Woessner, 68, what began as an ordinary drive turned into three terrifying days trapped in mud near her van in rural Minnesota. After all the trail rides I’ve taken with my kids over the years, I can only imagine how alone and scared she felt. Those trails are hard to navigate through, and sometimes you don’t see anyone else for hours at a time.

Kathryn’s rescue came because two friends, Adam Sandbeck and Mark Gravalin of West Fargo, North Dakota, decided to do something they almost never do. Instead of taking separate UTVs along familiar trails, they rode together and explored a different path near Backus, Minnesota.

Friends Find Woman Stuck In Mud

RELATED: Firefighter Was Able to Save His Daughter After Receiving a Crash Alert

"For some reason, we decided to go and try to find new trails," Adam said. "And for some reason, we went down that trail." That "some reason" led them to Kathryn. As they approached a muddy stretch of trail, they noticed what looked like a face in the water. Only Kathryn's face, one hand, and a kneecap were visible above the mud and she cried out for help!

In an instant, their afternoon ride became a rescue mission. The men pulled Kathryn from the mud and called 911. She told them she had been trapped there for three days after slipping into what Adam described as mud that behaved "like quicksand." Paramedics arrived within 15 minutes. Later, Adam reflected on everything that had to change for them to find her.

"I have never mapped that trail in my life ever," he said. "We changed everything how we do everything, for some reason. And it had to be God, it had to be."

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:  A State Trooper Found a Kitten On the Side of the Road, Then He Adopted Him

Sometimes God's miracles don't arrive with parted seas or burning bushes. Sometimes they come on four wheels down a trail no one planned to take. Sometimes He redirects our ordinary plans so someone else's desperate prayer can be answered. Maybe the road you're taking today isn't a detour after all. It may just be the path God is using to answer someone else's prayer—or perhaps even your own.

"In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps." Proverbs 16:9

WATCH: One Trail Change, One Incredible Rescue: Woman Found After 3 Days Trapped in Mud

LISTEN: He Helped Deliver Her, 22 Years Later, He Watched Her Graduate | 30 Years Apart, Siblings Found Each Other Again in Retirement Home

h/t: People

Featured Image Credit: YouTube/WCCO - CBS Minnesota


Heather Riggleman is a believer, wife, mom, author, social media consultant, and full-time writer. She lives in Minden, Nebraska with her kids, high school sweetheart, and three cats who are her entourage around the homestead. She is a former award-winning journalist with over 2,000 articles published. She is full of grace and grit, raw honesty, and truly believes tacos can solve just about any situation. You can find her on GodUpdates, iBelieve, Crosswalk, Hello Darling, Focus On The Family, and in Brio Magazine. Connect with her at www.HeatherRiggleman.com or on Facebook.  

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