Woman Rescued After 7 Hours Trapped Upside Down in Hunter Valley
- A 23-year-old woman became trapped while searching for her lost phone in boulders.
- Emergency services conducted a seven-hour rescue operation involving multiple agencies.
- She was rescued with minor injuries, showcasing the effective teamwork in a challenging situation.
In Australia, a 23-year-old woman became trapped upside down between boulders in the Hunter Valley while attempting to retrieve her lost phone. This incident occurred on a private property in Laguna, a country town located approximately 120 kilometers from Sydney. Despite her friends' attempts to rescue her for an hour, they were unable to free her and ultimately called for help around 9:30 a.m. on October 12. Emergency services, including police, ambulance, fire, and volunteer rescue crews, arrived to assist her. Rescuers faced significant challenges during the operation, which lasted seven hours. They needed to remove several large boulders to create a safe access point and construct a frame for the delicate extraction process. A winch was employed to move a heavy boulder weighing 500 kilograms, which was vital for freeing her legs. The rescue team was able to navigate her out of a tight bend, eventually releasing her around 4:30 p.m. Miraculously, the woman only sustained minor scratches and bruising despite the lengthy and precarious situation. Peter Watts, a specialist rescue paramedic, remarked on the uniqueness and challenges of this incident during his decade of experience. The cooperative effort from various agencies demonstrated effective teamwork in securing a positive outcome. After her rescue, the woman was taken to the hospital for observation, and interestingly, her cellphone remains lodged between the rocks, adding a humorous twist to the serendipitous rescue story.