A woman was forced to endure a harrowing seven-hour ordeal after becoming trapped upside down between two massive boulders whilst attempting to retrieve her dropped mobile phone.
The incident, which occurred earlier this month in Australia’s Hunter Valley, saw 23-year-old Matilda Campbell slip into a three-metre crevice on a private property in Laguna, about 120 kilometres from Sydney.
Campbell’s bizarre predicament sparked a complex rescue operation involving multiple emergency services, who faced significant challenges in freeing her from the precarious position.
The woman’s friends initially attempted to free her for about an hour before calling emergency services for help.
Only the woman’s bear feet could be seen from the surface
NSW Ambulance
The NSW Ambulance service responded to the call, arriving at the bushland area in the Hunter Valley wine region.
Specialist Rescue Paramedic Peter Watts led a team to create a safe access point, constructing a hardwood frame around the area to stabilise the rocks before beginning the arduous task of removing the heavy boulders.
Photos released by paramedics showed Campbell’s bare feet visible from the narrow gap between the rocks.
The rescue operation proved to be exceptionally challenging as rescuers had to navigate Campbell through a tight “S” bend, which took over an hour.
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A specialised winch was employed to move a massive 500kg boulder
NSW Ambulance
A specialised winch was employed to move a massive 500kg boulder.
“In my 10 years as a rescue paramedic I had never encountered a job quite like this, it was challenging but incredibly rewarding,” said Peter Watts.
“Every agency had a role, and we all worked incredibly well together to achieve a good outcome for the patient.”
After seven hours, Campbell was successfully freed with only minor scratches and bruises.
Campbell was successfully freed with only minor scratches and bruises
NSW Ambulance
Unfortunately, her mobile phone remained at the bottom of the crevice.
Following her rescue, Campbell took to Facebook to express her gratitude: “I wanted to give the biggest shoutout to my friends, the team who worked so hard to get me out.
“I’m forever thankful as most likely I would not be here today.
“I love you guys and you mean the world to me.
“It’s safe to say I’m the most accident-prone person ever.
“I am okay just have some injuries I’m recovering from, no more rock exploration for me for a while!”