A 23-year-old woman slipped and fell into a three-meter-deep rock crevice, getting stuck upside down while trying to retrieve her phone.
The New South Wales Ambulance Association on October 22 reported that Matilda Campbell, 23, dropped her phone into a rock crevice while taking pictures during a hiking trip with friends earlier this month in Hunter, northern New South Wales, Australia.
Cambbell (left) is stuck in a rock crevice and the rescue team is trying to create a gap to get her out (right)
In an attempt to rescue her phone, Campbell slipped and fell into a three-meter-deep crack between two large rocks, where she became stuck in an upside-down position, making it impossible for her to escape on her own.
Her friends tried to pull her out for over an hour but were unsuccessful. Since there was no phone signal in the area, they had to send someone to walk out and call for help.
Upon receiving the alert, New South Wales Ambulance, along with the Cessnock Volunteer Rescue Association and the New South Wales Rural Fire Service, devised a rescue plan.
The team had to move several rocks to reach the spot where Campbell was trapped. Once they were able to touch Campbell’s feet, they faced the challenge of extracting her through an S-shaped crevice. Specialized winches were used to move rocks weighing between 80-500 kg.
Campbell was rescued after being trapped for over 7 hours, suffering only minor scratches but in stable condition. However, she was unable to recover her phone.
"In more than 10 years as a rescue worker, I have never encountered anything like this. It was indeed a challenging case, but very rewarding," said Peter Watts, a rescue worker. "Each unit had its own task. We worked seamlessly together to achieve the best outcome."