Paramedics said they had never seen anything like it before.
A woman found herself in an incredibly tricky situation after dropping her iPhone and getting stuck upside down between two massive rocks. In a surprising turn of events, she ended up stranded with her feet up in the air, unable to move.
This unexpected incident happened earlier this month in the Hunter Valley, located in New South Wales, Australia. Paramedics rushed to the scene and were amazed by the unusual circumstances, stating it was something they had 'never encountered' before.
While hiking, the woman accidentally dropped her iPhone into a deep crevasse. In an attempt to retrieve it, she fell into the three-meter hole, wedged between huge boulders, making it impossible for her to climb out on her own.
Because of how she fell, the woman ended up headfirst in the gap, completely stuck with no way to free herself. She couldn’t even use her phone to call for help since there was no reception in the remote area. Her friends were unable to reach emergency services right away, as they couldn’t get through to triple zero, Australia’s emergency line.
By the time paramedics arrived, the woman had been hanging upside down by her ankles for over an hour, making her situation even more dire. It was a race against time for NSW paramedics to pull off the rescue.
Rescuing her was far from easy. The emergency services had to build a sturdy wooden frame and remove several heavy rocks, which weighed over 500 kilograms. They needed to do this carefully to prevent the other boulders from shifting and causing further danger to the trapped woman.
Once the rocks were removed, the next challenge was navigating her out of a very narrow ‘S’ shaped bend in the rock formation. It took more than an hour of careful maneuvering to finally free her from the tight spot. Peter Watts, a specialist rescue paramedic with NSW Ambulance, commented: "In my 10 years as a rescue paramedic I had never encountered a job quite like this, it was challenging but incredibly rewarding."
"Every agency had a role, and we all worked incredibly well together to achieve a good outcome for the patient."
The entire rescue operation lasted over seven hours, a true test of teamwork and determination.
Despite how serious her situation appeared, the woman was extremely fortunate, escaping with only bruises and scratches.
Given how dangerous the situation was, many might consider this outcome almost miraculous.
While the woman was successfully brought to safety, her iPhone didn’t survive the ordeal and remains lost somewhere in the crevasse. But all things considered, it seems like a small price to pay for her life.
The story of her rescue quickly made its way onto social media, where people praised the heroic efforts of the paramedics.
One Facebook user wrote: "Well done to all involved so glad she is safe and unhurt,"
Another person chimed in, expressing amazement at her luck: "Oh my gosh. The young lady is so lucky you were able to get her out. I hope she bought a lottery ticket and shares the winnings with you all."
And a third member of the public added their appreciation for the team's hard work: "Wow, just wow. What a mighty and fantastic effort and demonstration of true team work. Thank you for your service to the community."