Brisbane, Australia(CNN) —A woman attempting to retrieve her phone from between boulders in Australia’s Hunter Valley was trapped upside down for seven hours before being rescued earlier this month.
Photos shared by the New South Wales (NSW) Ambulance service on Monday show only the bare soles of her feet visible.
The incident occurred while she was walking with friends on private property in Laguna, a town in the Hunter Valley about 120 kilometers (75 miles) from Sydney, when she accidentally dropped her phone.
NSW Ambulance
Her friends tried for an hour to free her, according to the NSW Ambulance service, but eventually gave up and called for help.
NSW Police said emergency services were called at 9:30 a.m. on October 12 about a 23-year-old woman who had become trapped while attempting to retrieve a cellphone.
For the next seven hours, police, ambulance, fire and volunteer rescue crews tried to free her, police said in a statement.
Several heavy boulders were removed to create a safe access point, then rescuers built a frame to perform what was becoming a very delicate operation, they added.
NSW Ambulance
“With both feet now accessible, the team faced the challenge of navigating the patient out through a tight ‘S’ bend over the course of an hour,” NSW Ambulance shared in a post on Facebook.
A winch was used to move a 500-kilogram (1,100-pound) boulder to free the woman, and she was finally released at around 4:30 p.m. the same day.
Miraculously, she escaped with only minor scratches and bruising.
Peter Watts, NSW Ambulance specialist rescue paramedic, said he’d never seen anything like it.
The 23-year-old had been walking with friends when she accidentally dropped her phone between rocks.
After her friends spent an hour trying to free her without success, they called for help, according to the NSW Ambulance service.
NSW Police reported that emergency services were alerted at 9:30 a.m. on October 12 about the woman, who had become trapped while attempting to retrieve her phone.
For the next seven hours, police, ambulance, fire, and volunteer rescue teams worked to free her. Several heavy boulders were removed to create a safe access point, and rescuers built a frame to carry out the delicate operation.
NSW Ambulance
“In my 10 years as a rescue paramedic I had never encountered a job quite like this, it was challenging but incredibly rewarding,” Watts said. “Every agency had a role, and we all worked incredibly well together to achieve a good outcome for the patient.”
The woman, whose name has not been made public, was taken to the hospital for observation. Her phone, however, remains trapped between the rocks.
The rescue operation involved multiple emergency teams from police, fire, and ambulance services.
“In my 10 years as a rescue paramedic, I’ve never faced a situation quite like this; it was challenging yet incredibly rewarding,” Watts said. “Each agency played a vital role, and we all collaborated effectively to achieve a positive outcome for the patient.”
The woman, whose identity has not been disclosed, was taken to the hospital for observation. However, her phone remains trapped between the rocks.
