Rescuers in the outskirts of Sydney, Australia, were faced with an unbelievable sight when they were called to free a woman trapped upside down in a narrow gap between two rocks while trying to retrieve her phone.
According to local media, the incident occurred in Hunter Valley, New South Wales, where the woman was hiking with friends in a forested area about 120 km from Sydney. During the hike, her phone fell into the gap, and when she bent down to grab it, she ended up with her head wedged between two large rocks.
The woman’s feet were the only part visible, and she was unable to move, while her friends couldn’t assist her. They called rescue services, who later released photos that have been widely circulated in Australian media.
Rescuers were called at around 9:30 a.m., after the woman’s friends had spent about an hour trying to free her. Over the next seven hours, police, rescuers, firefighters, and volunteer teams worked to rescue her.
Several large rocks were removed to create a safe passage, and a frame was built to facilitate the delicate operation. “With her feet now accessible, the team had to guide her through a tight ‘S’ curve to free her,” read a post by NSW Ambulance on Facebook.
A crane was used to move a 500-kilogram rock, and the woman was finally freed around 4:30 p.m. Fortunately, she sustained only minor scratches and bruises.
Peter Watts, a specialized rescuer, stated that he had never encountered anything like it in his career. “It was one of the most challenging rescues I’ve done, but also incredibly rewarding,” he said, adding that the teamwork was crucial to the successful rescue.
The woman was taken to the hospital for observation, but her phone remained trapped between the rocks.