BOSTON - Black Hawk third grade teacher Kristina Rynes ran around a corner moments after two bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon Monday, killing three and injuring at least one hundred others.
Rynes, of Monroe, finished the Boston Marathon in 3 hours, 23 minutes and 30 seconds. She then lingered around Boylston Street near the finish before scurrying with thousands others after an explosion rocked Boston before the finish of the event. Rynes and a friend were not injured after the explosions.
Race volunteers and public officials rushed to the aid of wounded spectators, and the medical tent set up to care for fatigued runners was quickly converted to a trauma clinic. Runners and spectators were crying as they fled the billowing gray smoke rising from a running gear store overlooking the end of the course.
"At first, I thought it was a cannon," Rynes said of the explosion. "It's such a great event for people around the world to come to. It's just really devastating. I just feel for the people who were not able to finish."
Rynes, who was running in her second Boston Marathon saw the smoke and walked back to the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Cambridge along the Charles River.
"My plan was just to get back to the hotel," she said. "It was definitely scary and people were panicking."
The explosion sent some runners tumbling to the pavement and others, already unsteady from the 26.2-mile run, were knocked down by those rushing toward the scene. A Rhode Island state trooper who ran in the race said the blasts tore limbs off dozens of people.
Rynes wasn't the only runner from the area that ran in the event.
Jennifer Brady, 42, was registered out of Brodhead. Attempts to contact Brady were unsuccessful. However, tracking logs on the Boston Marathon website put Brady between the 35-kilometer and 40-kilometer markers at the time of the explosions - approximately four miles away.
Dan Buvid, a 2007 MHS graduate and a University of Wisconsin-La Crosse graduate student, finished his first Boston Marathon in 2 hours, 49 minutes and 24 seconds. He and his parents, Dale and Tina Buvid, and his sister, Amy Buvid, were not injured in the explosions.
"Seeing that video over and over again just gives me chills," Dan Buvid said. "This is the 117th time they have run this. It doesn't ever seem like that will happen to you. You never expect to be around when something like that happens."
After the explosions, the Buvids walked to Amy Buvid's hotel, the Revere, which is about five blocks from the finish line, to take photos after the race.
"The first indication that something was wrong was when we couldn't get on the subway," said Dale Buvid, who had watched Dan run from the 23rd mile mark. "We didn't hear anything. We may have been in the hotel when it happened. People in the street were crying and breaking down. At first, we thought it was a gas explosion. You heard people talking about massive casualties."
Dan and his parents walked about three miles back to the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Cambridge.
"People were calling and texting us," said Dale Buvid, who is the Monroe High School softball coach. He missed Monday's home game so he could watch Dan run. "We couldn't get back to people to let them know we were OK, because we had to walk two to three miles and the cell phone (towers) were down."
The Revere Hotel, where Amy is staying with friends, was on lockdown. The Royal Sonesta, where Dan and his parents are staying, had an increased police presence.
"People are subdued," Dale Buvid said. "You see people wearing marathon jackets, asking if you got a chance to finish."
The Buvids have a flight home scheduled for today, but they are unsure if the flight will be delayed.
"The first word we got is that the flights were canceled," Dale Buvid said. "I think the flights are just delayed. I think the airport will be back to running with high security. We hope we will be ready to go, but we don't know for sure."
Rynes was also looking forward to her flight home today.
"Going to school on Wednesday, there will definitely be some hugs and tears I'm sure," Rynes said.
Even with Monday's tragic events, Dan Buvid's confidence in running in another Boston Marathon wasn't shaken.
"They really didn't know the identity of the person or individual that perpetrated this," Dan Buvid said. "You have to show you are not afraid of the terrorists or whatever you want to call it. I think there will be a lot of people back next year. I would definitely consider running again."
Rynes, of Monroe, finished the Boston Marathon in 3 hours, 23 minutes and 30 seconds. She then lingered around Boylston Street near the finish before scurrying with thousands others after an explosion rocked Boston before the finish of the event. Rynes and a friend were not injured after the explosions.
Race volunteers and public officials rushed to the aid of wounded spectators, and the medical tent set up to care for fatigued runners was quickly converted to a trauma clinic. Runners and spectators were crying as they fled the billowing gray smoke rising from a running gear store overlooking the end of the course.
"At first, I thought it was a cannon," Rynes said of the explosion. "It's such a great event for people around the world to come to. It's just really devastating. I just feel for the people who were not able to finish."
Rynes, who was running in her second Boston Marathon saw the smoke and walked back to the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Cambridge along the Charles River.
"My plan was just to get back to the hotel," she said. "It was definitely scary and people were panicking."
The explosion sent some runners tumbling to the pavement and others, already unsteady from the 26.2-mile run, were knocked down by those rushing toward the scene. A Rhode Island state trooper who ran in the race said the blasts tore limbs off dozens of people.
Rynes wasn't the only runner from the area that ran in the event.
Jennifer Brady, 42, was registered out of Brodhead. Attempts to contact Brady were unsuccessful. However, tracking logs on the Boston Marathon website put Brady between the 35-kilometer and 40-kilometer markers at the time of the explosions - approximately four miles away.
Dan Buvid, a 2007 MHS graduate and a University of Wisconsin-La Crosse graduate student, finished his first Boston Marathon in 2 hours, 49 minutes and 24 seconds. He and his parents, Dale and Tina Buvid, and his sister, Amy Buvid, were not injured in the explosions.
"Seeing that video over and over again just gives me chills," Dan Buvid said. "This is the 117th time they have run this. It doesn't ever seem like that will happen to you. You never expect to be around when something like that happens."
After the explosions, the Buvids walked to Amy Buvid's hotel, the Revere, which is about five blocks from the finish line, to take photos after the race.
"The first indication that something was wrong was when we couldn't get on the subway," said Dale Buvid, who had watched Dan run from the 23rd mile mark. "We didn't hear anything. We may have been in the hotel when it happened. People in the street were crying and breaking down. At first, we thought it was a gas explosion. You heard people talking about massive casualties."
Dan and his parents walked about three miles back to the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Cambridge.
"People were calling and texting us," said Dale Buvid, who is the Monroe High School softball coach. He missed Monday's home game so he could watch Dan run. "We couldn't get back to people to let them know we were OK, because we had to walk two to three miles and the cell phone (towers) were down."
The Revere Hotel, where Amy is staying with friends, was on lockdown. The Royal Sonesta, where Dan and his parents are staying, had an increased police presence.
"People are subdued," Dale Buvid said. "You see people wearing marathon jackets, asking if you got a chance to finish."
The Buvids have a flight home scheduled for today, but they are unsure if the flight will be delayed.
"The first word we got is that the flights were canceled," Dale Buvid said. "I think the flights are just delayed. I think the airport will be back to running with high security. We hope we will be ready to go, but we don't know for sure."
Rynes was also looking forward to her flight home today.
"Going to school on Wednesday, there will definitely be some hugs and tears I'm sure," Rynes said.
Even with Monday's tragic events, Dan Buvid's confidence in running in another Boston Marathon wasn't shaken.
"They really didn't know the identity of the person or individual that perpetrated this," Dan Buvid said. "You have to show you are not afraid of the terrorists or whatever you want to call it. I think there will be a lot of people back next year. I would definitely consider running again."