Sports

Tosa Woman Was Nearing Boston Marathon Finish When Bomb Exploded

Seven Wauwatosa residents were signed up to run the famous race, which was rocked by two explosions about three hours after the winners crossed the finish line. One Tosa woman was almost at the finish and witnessed mayhem.

A Wauwatosa woman was nearing the end of the Boston Marathon when one and then another bomb went off at the finish line, her son said.

Anne Gorzek, 52, a regular marathon runner, was not injured in the explosions, son Joe Gorzek said.

"She was really close" to the finish, said Joe Gorzek. "But she's fine.

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"She just said everybody was running all over the place and it was really scary."

As of 4:30 p.m. Central Time, Joe Gorzek said he and his family were getting no updates from his mother because everyone in the race area had been asked to disable their cell phones so as not to risk setting off any other bombs that might be hidden in the area.

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There were reports that two more unexploded bombs were found near the race site, but later updates discounted that.

Anne Gorzek was one of seven Wauwatosa entrants in the race. Her posted results showed she'd finished 40 kilometers, the last stage recorded before the finish.

Four other Wauwatosa residents finished, including Cynthia Doctor, according to the posted results, with Doctor coming in just ahead of the time of of the blasts.

Neither Doctor nor any of her family members could be reached for comment.

The two explosions near the finish line of the Boston Marathon had people carrying bloody spectators into the medical tent set up for runners, according to an Associated Press report on the Pocono Record website.

At least two people were killed and dozens injured. It appeared that most of the casualties were spectators, not runners. One of those killed was said to be an 8-year-old boy, with a number of other children among the injured.

"There are a lot of people down," the AP quoted one man saying. The explosions happened about three hours after the winners crossed the finish line, at a time when large numbers of amateur runners are finishing.

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NBC News reported fire engines, police and emergency medical personnel were headed to the scene. An affiliate reporter told NBC News she heard two loud explosions, and that "everybody kind of ducked and hit the ground," and Jackie Bruno, reporter for New England Cable News said she saw people with significant injuries, including one person with a leg blown off.

"Runners were coming in and saw unspeakable horror," Bruno said.

Wauwatosa runners at Boston Marathon

The Boston Athletic Association website lists the following Wauwatosa entrants and their last posted individual race result status:

  • Cynthia L. Docter, finished race in 3:55:30
  • Anne D. Gorzek, finished 40 kilometers in 03:56:23
  • Jeff Kobinsky, no recorded results/possible no start 
  • Michelle Lanouette, finished race in 4:06:01
  • Roman Pyasta, finished race in 2:56:29
  • Annie T. Schueppert, no recorded results/possible no start
  • Peter M. Stefaniak, finished race in 3:32:13


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