A woman found herself in a dangerous predicament while attempting to retrieve her dropped iPhone from a deep crevice, ultimately becoming trapped upside down between two large boulders.
The unusual incident occurred earlier this month in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales, Australia, leading to a dramatic rescue that paramedics stated was unlike anything they had “ever encountered” before.
The woman was hiking when she accidentally dropped her phone into a three-meter-deep hole between two large boulders.
In her attempt to retrieve it, she fell headfirst into the narrow gap, becoming stuck upside down with no means to pull herself out.
Unable to move and without phone reception to call for help, her friends faced difficulties reaching emergency services, referred to as triple zero in Australia.
After hanging upside down by her ankles for an hour, paramedics in New South Wales were finally alerted and rushed to the scene.
However, the rescue operation proved to be quite challenging.
Emergency services needed to build a sturdy wooden frame and carefully remove several heavy boulders, each weighing over 500 kilograms, to prevent the surrounding rocks from collapsing on the trapped woman.
Once the area was stabilized, rescuers spent over an hour maneuvering her through a narrow “S” bend in the rock formation to free her.
NSW Ambulance specialist rescue paramedic Peter Watts remarked, “In my 10 years as a rescue paramedic, I had never faced a situation quite like this.
It was challenging but incredibly rewarding. Every agency played a crucial role, and we all collaborated exceptionally well to ensure a positive outcome for the patient.”
In total, the rescue mission lasted over seven hours. Remarkably, the woman emerged with only bruises and scratches, a fortunate outcome considering the dangerous situation she had been in. Unfortunately, her iPhone was not recovered.
Following the rescue, many took to social media to commend the paramedics and emergency teams for their efforts.
One Facebook user commented, “Well done to all involved; so glad she is safe and unharmed.” Another wrote, “Oh my gosh! The young lady is so lucky you were able to get her out.
I hope she buys a lottery ticket and shares the winnings with you all.” A third person added, “What a tremendous and impressive effort—truly a demonstration of teamwork. Thank you for your service to the community.”
Despite the ordeal, the woman emerged with her life and a valuable lesson learned, even though her phone remains lost deep within the rocks.
