Tammy Lawrence-Daley says she was brutally attacked at the Majestic Elegance all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana in January.
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She went to get a snack at the bustling resort when she heard footsteps.
"He just plowed into my back and I remember the grunt he made when he hit me. It's in my nightmares," she says.
The attacker pummeled the mother of two for hours.
She could feel the bones in her face cave, her teeth break.
"He at that point began choking me strangling me," said Lawrence-Daley.
The mother of two went in and out of consciousness.
She says the assailant then dragged her limp body into a dark crawl space inside the five-star resort.
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It was pitch black.
"All I could think of is my husband is going to find me dead with my head bashed in," she said.
Lawrence-Daley suffered a broken orbital, broken hand, nerve damage and other injuries. She has had a half dozen surgeries and procedures since the attack.
It was the second night of the trip when she was beaten.
She believes the attacker was ready to pounce. She says she fought with all her might to stay alive.
"He used something to wrap around my throat to basically strangle me again and at that point I knew I was dead," says Lawrence-Daley.
But she had the will to live.
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The family says after an exhaustive search spearheaded by her husband and friends, not the resort, Lawrence-Daley was found. Her husband, Chris Daley, feels guilty he didn't go with her to get the snack, but the resort was busy with other travelers. He choked up when recounting finding his wife after an exhaustive search.
"This was the hardest part, seeing her from the back, it didn't look like her, until Diane said those are her shoes," said Chris.
Lawrence-Daley says, "One of the maids walked up and put a robe around me and I'll never forget, it translated you're safe, you're safe."
The family says the Dominican police investigation was inadequate at best. She recalls her attacker wearing a Majestic Elegance uniform, but she never saw his face and no suspect has been identified.
RELATED: Read Tammy Lawrence-Daley's Facebook Post
She's warning others who travel to lavish resorts.
"It's not safe. Not safe for women to walk alone, walk with somebody else," said Lawrence-Daley.
Action News tried to get comment from the Majestic Elegance and local police but have been unsuccessful.