A woman in her 20s spent seven hours hanging upside-down by her feet before being rescued after falling head-first into a deep crevice between two boulders in regional NSW. She had been attempting to retrieve her dropped phone when the incident occurred on October 12 in the Hunter Valley, 7 News reported.
NSW Ambulance paramedics, along with a multi-disciplinary rescue team, had to use a specialist winch to move heavy boulders, including one weighing 500kg, in order to reach her. After creating a stable access point, the team carefully navigated the woman out of the crevice, a process that took an hour.
Rescue paramedic Peter Watts, who had never encountered such a situation in his 10 years of service, described the experience as challenging but rewarding.
“In my 10 years as a rescue paramedic, I had never encountered a job quite like this,” specialist rescue paramedic Peter Watts told 7 News.
The woman’s friends had initially tried to free her but were unsuccessful, prompting them to find phone reception to call for help. By the time rescuers arrived, she had already been stuck for over an hour.
Despite spending seven hours trapped upside-down, the woman escaped with only minor scratches and bruises. Unfortunately, her phone could not be recovered. NSW Ambulance praised the teamwork involved in the complex and successful rescue.
“Every agency had a role, and we all worked incredibly well together to achieve a good outcome for the patient,” Watts said.