Young woman rescued after seven-hour ordeal in Hunter Valley
In New South Wales, Australia, an incident could have ended tragically. A young woman, trying to retrieve her phone, was stuck between massive boulders in the Laguna region of Hunter Valley for seven hours. According to rescue services, the extraction operation was exceptionally complicated and required the collaboration of specialized teams.
The woman, in her early twenties, fell head first into a narrow, three-metre crevice between the rocks. Her friends attempted to free her for nearly an hour, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
Only after calling for help through the emergency number did the appropriate rescue services arrive at the scene to initiate a large-scale rescue operation.
As reported by NSW Ambulance, the operation required the involvement of many specialists from various fields. Using specialized equipment and tools, rescuers carefully removed the heavy boulders blocking access to the woman. One of them weighed as much as 500 kilograms, and moving it was possible thanks to a specialist winch. To ensure the operation's stability, a wooden structure was also built.
Unique rescue operation: "I've never encountered such a case before"
- It was one of the most challenging rescue operations I've seen in ten years of work. I've never encountered a case like this before, but thanks to the cooperation of all services, we achieved a positive outcome - said Peter Watts, a paramedic specializing in rescue operations who participated in the operation.
The critical moment of the operation was pulling the woman out feet first through a narrow, S-shaped crevice. This process, as rescuers emphasized, required precise actions and lasted about an hour. Ultimately, the woman was safely extracted with minor injuries – she suffered only minor scratches and bruises.
The phone remained in the crevice
It is worth adding, however, that although the operation ended successfully, the phone, which was the cause of the entire incident, was not recovered. NSW Ambulance highlighted that although the situation was very unusual, the rescue team showed complete professionalism and excellent collaboration, which allowed for the safe conclusion of the operation.
