A WOMAN who was attempting to retrieve her phone during a bushwalk slipped and fell down a three-metre rock crevice, kicking off a seven-hour ordeal in the Hunter Valley.
NSW Ambulance has released information about the bizarre incident which occurred earlier this month, a timely safety reminder as warmer weather sees more people head out on walks.
According to emergency service reports the woman dropped her phone while taking photos and when she attempted to retrieve it she slipped into the crevice and became wedged upside down between two boulders.
After her friend made several attempts to free her, they called Triple-0. The woman had been hanging by her feet upside down for more than an hour when emergency services were alerted to the incident at Laguna.
Police, paramedics, Rural Fire Service, police and ambulance rescue and the Cessnock District Rescue Squad were all called to the scene.
They worked to remove several heavy boulders to create a safe access point. A hardwood frame was built to ensure stability while rescuers worked.
NSW Ambulance specialist rescue paramedic Peter Watts said once both feet were accessible, the team faced the challenge of navigating the patient out through a tight S-bend over the course of an hour. It took a specialised winch to move a 500 kilogram boulder and eventually extract the woman, seven hours after she first became wedged between the rocks.
"In my 10 years as a rescue paramedic I had never encountered a job quite like this, it was challenging but incredibly rewarding," Mr Watts said.
"Every agency had a role, and we all worked incredibly well together to achieve a good outcome for the patient."
The woman suffered minor scratches and bruises and was treated at the scene. Rescuers confirmed her phone was never retrieved and remains stuck down the crevice.
