Jasmine Block, Kidnapped Minnesota Teen, Found After Swimming Across Lake To Freedom

Jasmine Block, a 15-year-old girl from Alexandria, Minnesota, reunited with her family Tuesday after being kidnapped and held against her will for 29 days, thanks to her presence of mind and swimming skills.

Block was last seen leaving her home on Aug. 8 about 10:30 p.m. local time (11:30 p.m. EDT), ABC affiliate WDIO reported. She was believed to have been kidnapped by an acquaintance of hers who was accompanied by two other men.

The three men who allegedly kidnapped the teen — Thomas Barker, Joshua Holby, and Steven Powers — have been arrested by the police. Formal charges are yet to be decided by Douglas County Attorney's Office, CBS Minnesota reported.

Over the next 29 days, Block endured physical and sexual abuse by her kidnappers on a daily basis. The three men were also smart enough to keep moving from one location to the other to evade getting caught.

“Barker tied her up with zip ties and then he his roommate and friend over the next several weeks assaulted her and threatened her with weapons, Alexandria Police Chief Rick Wyffels said.

However, the men left her alone Tuesday for the first time since she was abducted and went to a nearby town for lunch. Block seized the opportunity and escaped from the captivity. She went from door to door asking for help before diving into the Thompson Lake and swimming across a portion of it, WDIO reported.

Once she came across a resident who was willing to help, she requested him to call 911. Wyffels said that the news of Block’s kidnapping had reached many people in the immediate area and hence it was not surprising that the first person she met immediately recognized her.

"Before she even said any words (to the man who found her), he already knew what this story was all about," Wyffels said.

The person who ended up coming to Block’s aid was a farmer, who had taken a break from work and returned to his house because he had forgotten something. It was then that his eyes caught what looked like a deer out in the grasslands.

However, soon he realized that it was actually a human and not an animal. “She was up so I could see her but I couldn’t tell what it was,” he said. “When she came walking out of the grass I’m thinking oh my gosh, you got to be kidding me. When I saw her face I knew right away.”

Block was not wearing any pants or shoes when she was discovered. She said that she had to take them off as they made it difficult to swim.

Block has been described by the police as an “unbelievable young woman” with “a lot of strength.” However, Wyffels said that she would need all the support that she can get from her community to recover from the ordeal that she had gone through.

“This is a happy ending, but the work is not done," he said. "The family is going to need a lot of privacy and a lot of community support to carry on."

The following is the press conference on Block’s case: