Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Amy Windom says a "MacGyver" moment helped alert authorities after a terrifying incident Tuesday.
An armed burglar entered her Atlanta home in the early morning hours and tied Windom's hands to the headboard of her bed, police said.
The man spent nearly an hour talking to her as she lay there, helpless, she told CNN affiliate WSB.
"I kept ... trying to say calming things," she said. "I was hoping he wouldn't hurt me." Read more from CNN affiliate WSB
When the man finally left -- taking her car and cell phone, among other items -- Windom wondered how she would free herself of her bindings.
"I had a lot of time to think about 'MacGyver' moments," she said.
Fortunately, the man did not take her laptop, which lay within reach of Windom's feet.
"I dragged my laptop over and with my feet I pried it open," she said.
She then typed a message to her boyfriend, who happened to be online. "HELP. Call police," the message read.
Six minutes after Windom's boyfriend called 911, officers arrived and discovered Windom still tied to her bed, suffering a cut she sustained when the man struck her with his gun, according to Carlos Campos, a spokesman for the Atlanta Police Department.
