Rescue Triumph in Hunter Valley: Woman saved from rock crevice
In New South Wales, Australia, an incident could have ended tragically. A young woman, attempting to retrieve her phone, was trapped between massive boulders in the Laguna region of Hunter Valley for seven hours. According to rescue services, the extraction operation was exceptionally complex and required the collaboration of specialised teams.
The woman, in her early twenties, fell headfirst into a narrow crevice about three metres deep between the rocks. Her friends attempted to free her for nearly an hour, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
Only after calling for help via 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 specialised equipment and tools, rescuers carefully removed the heavy boulders blocking access to the woman. One of them weighed around 500 kilograms, and moving it was possible thanks to a specialist winch. To ensure the operation's stability, a wooden structure was also constructed.
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 specialising 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 emphasise, 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 noting, 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 demonstrated complete professionalism and excellent collaboration, which allowed for the safe conclusion of the operation.
