Woman found holding her own gouged-out eyeballs near South Carolina church

Updated

A woman believed to be in her late teens or early 20s was hospitalized in South Carolina on Wednesday after she gouged both of her own eyes out near a local church.

Elizabeth Hiott, who works at the South Main Chapel and Mercy Center, told WYFF that she was inside the building when someone yelled for her to call 911.

"It was across the street, and I could see blood, and could hear her screaming, and I realized something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong," Hiott told the station. "I immediately called 911 and it almost felt like the 911 dispatcher didn't even believe me. That's how crazy it was."

Reverend Terry Mitchell said that the woman, who was holding both of her eyeballs, appeared to have intentionally hurt herself on railroad tracks near the chapel. The reverend added that he saw the woman on her knees struggling against people who were trying to help her.

According to Anderson County Sheriff Chad McBride, it took multiple deputies and two emergency medical workers to subdue the woman before they could render aid.

Medical workers rushed the woman to an area hospital by helicopter, where she is reportedly on a respirator but in stable condition.

Authorities said no charges will be filed since no crime had been committed.

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