It took crews seven hours to rescue the stricken bushwalker | Image: NSW Ambulance
Rescue crews pulled off a daring seven hour operation to free a bushwalker who became stuck in a precarious position while hiking in the Hunter Valley.
The incident took place earlier this month in bushland at Laguna, near Cessnock, where a woman was out walking with friends when she dropped her phone.
As she tried to retrieve it, she slipped into a three meter crevice and became wedged upside-down between two boulders.
After the woman’s friends tried to help her out to no avail, they rang Triple Zero sparking a multi-agency response involving NSW Police, NSW Ambulance, the Rural Fire Service and volunteers from the Cessnock District Rescue Squad.
By the time emergency services arrived at the location the bushwalker had been hanging by her feet upside-down for over an hour.
A hardwood frame was built to shore up stability, while a multidisciplinary team began shifting several heavy rocks to create a safe access point.
A specialised Tirfor winch was also used to move a massive 500kg boulder.
Once both of the woman’s feet were accessible, crews were then able to set about the delicate task of maneuvering her out through a tight “S” bend over the course of an hour.
NSW Ambulance Specialist Rescue Paramedic Peter Watts said
“In my 10 years as a rescue paramedic I had never encountered a job quite like this, it was challenging but incredibly rewarding,” he said.
“Every agency had a role, and we all worked incredibly well together to achieve a good outcome for the patient.”
The woman was safely freed seven hours after her ordeal began with only minor scrapes and bruises, however the phone was left at the bottom of the crevice.
