A woman found herself in a precarious situation after trying to retrieve her dropped iPhone from a deep crevice, leaving her stranded upside down between two massive rocks.
The unusual incident took place earlier this month in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Australia, prompting a dramatic rescue that paramedics described as something they had “never encountered” before.
The woman had been hiking when she dropped her phone into a three-meter hole between large boulders. In an attempt to get it back, she fell headfirst into the narrow gap, leaving her upside down with no way to pull herself out. Unable to move and without phone reception to call for help, her friends struggled to reach emergency services, known in Australia as triple zero.
After spending an hour hanging upside down by her ankles, New South Wales paramedics were finally alerted and rushed to the scene. However, the rescue operation was far from straightforward.
Emergency services had to construct a stable 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 more than an hour maneuvering her through a narrow “S” bend in the rock formation to free her.
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. Every agency had a role, and we all worked incredibly well together to achieve a good outcome for the patient.”
In total, the rescue mission took over seven hours. Remarkably, the woman escaped with only bruises and scratches, a fortunate outcome given the perilous situation she had been in. However, her iPhone was not recovered.
Following the rescue, many took to social media to praise the paramedics and emergency teams for their efforts. One Facebook user wrote, “Well done to all involved, so glad she is safe and unhurt.” Another commented, “Oh my gosh. The young lady is so lucky you were able to get her out. I hope she bought a lottery ticket and shares the winnings with you all.” A third person added, “What a mighty and fantastic effort and demonstration of true teamwork. Thank you for your service to the community.”
Despite the ordeal, the woman walked away with her life and a lesson learned, even if her phone remains lost deep within the rocks.
