A woman in Australia’s Hunter Valley became trapped upside down between boulders for seven hours after attempting to retrieve her lost phone earlier this month.
Photos shared on social media by the New South Wales (NSW) Ambulance service on Monday show only the soles of her feet visible. The incident occurred while the 23-year-old woman was walking with friends on a private property in Laguna, a rural town about 120 kilometers (75 miles) from Sydney, when she accidentally dropped her phone.
While trying to recover it, she slipped headfirst into a 3-meter (10-foot) crevice between two massive rocks, falling too deep for her friends to reach her. Due to a lack of phone signal in the area, her companions had to leave to call for help, according to NSW Ambulance specialist rescue paramedic Peter Watts.
Watts, one of the first responders on the scene on October 12, said the situation presented unique challenges. “I’ve never encountered something like this before,” he told CNN. Although their training covered trench, confined space, and vertical rescues, this incident required a combination of all three.
When Watts and the rescue team arrived, they found the woman’s feet protruding from a narrow 10-centimeter (4-inch) gap in the rocks. She had slid down a chute roughly three meters deep and became wedged in place. The location, situated about 50 meters (164 feet) down a dense bush track, was inaccessible by off-road vehicles.
After assessing the situation, the team determined that the only viable way to free her was by lifting her vertically, which required removing several rocks. Over the next seven hours, a delicate rescue operation involving police, ambulance, fire, and volunteer crews unfolded. They advised the woman to remain still to prevent her from slipping further into the crevice.
Six large boulders had to be carefully moved before rescuers could touch her feet. Watts praised the woman’s composure, noting that she remained calm despite the ordeal. At times, however, her quietness raised concerns, as being upside down for so long posed risks due to pressure on her limbs.
Once enough rocks were cleared, rescuers began to free her, starting with one foot and then the other. The final boulder, weighing about 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds), required the use of a winch and timber supports to prevent it from collapsing into the crevice.
The woman’s extraction was complicated by the irregular shape of the chute, necessitating careful maneuvering. Her legs had to be adjusted in an ‘S’ shape before her hips and shoulders could be freed. Once rescued at around 4:30 p.m., she was “100% relieved” but too dizzy and weak to stand due to blood pooling in her head.
Remarkably, she escaped with only minor scratches and bruises and was taken to the hospital for observation. Her phone, however, remains stuck between the rocks.