Less than half a mile from completing the Boston Marathon, pensioner Virginia Pawlyn was swept to safety after two bombs exploded at the finish line.
The 72-year-old mother from Cheltenham was around four hours into the famous run when two explosions occurred only hundreds of meters further down the road.
Her two sons, Dean and Joylon, were waiting to meet her close to where the blasts happened on Monday.
They miraculously escaped the explosions, which killed three people and injured more than 170.
"I had almost reached 26 miles when the bombs went off," said Virginia, who lives in Leckhampton.
"I was less than half a mile away from the finish and security stopped me in the road and rushed everyone to safety.
"There were lots of police officers rushing around. No one knew what was going on.
"One policeman was shouting 'Evacuate the city!' but we were told to stay in an area in a nearby residential street.
"But all the area's communications had gone down after the blast and, for a long while, I couldn't get in touch with my two sons, who were very close to the finish line.
"I didn't hear the explosions but no one really knew what had happened. It all happened before I got there."
Amongst the hysteria, Virginia was eventually reunited with her two sons.
Dean, 46, and Joylon, 44, were in Boston to support Virginia for her fifth marathon.
Dean said: "My brother and I were only five blocks down from the blast. I just heard this big bang but nobody flinched.
"A big cloud of white smoke went up and we knew something must've happened - although we didn't know what.
"There were a lot of sirens and police and ambulances. I spoke to one guy who claims he was very close to the explosion."
Two of those killed were named as Krystle Campbell, 29, and eight-year-old Martin Richard.
The third is understood to be a Chinese graduate student.
The FBI believe the explosions were an act of terror and continue to analyse debris and bomb fragments.
Of those injured in the blast, nine children were treated. Doctors confirmed 13 people had to have limbs amputated.
If you know anyone in Boston, please call the Echo on 01242 278093.
