A rescue operation earlier this month in the Hunter Valley at Laguna has captured attention after a woman became trapped in a 3-metre crevice while attempting to retrieve her phone. The incident, first reported by MHV News on 12th October, unfolded when the woman slipped and became wedged between two boulders.
Without phone reception, her friends were forced to call Triple Zero (000) after failing to free her. By the time NSW Ambulance Specialist Rescue Paramedic Peter Watts and his team arrived, the patient had been hanging upside down for over an hour.
Rescuers worked carefully to remove several large boulders, using a hardwood frame to stabilize the area. A 500kg boulder had to be shifted with a specialised winch before the woman could be freed through a tight “S” bend. After seven hours, she was successfully rescued with only minor scratches and bruises.
Peter Watts, who led the rescue, remarked, “In my 10 years as a rescue paramedic, I had never encountered a job quite like this. It was challenging but incredibly rewarding.”
Despite her ordeal, the patient was unable to retrieve her phone.