Emergency services successfully rescued an elderly woman with dementia who became stranded in bushland near Wollombi this afternoon. At 2:53 pm, Cessnock Volunteer Rescue Association (VRA) was activated for a vertical rescue after the woman fell while walking in the bush. She was initially located by a local Rural Fire Service (RFS) member, who raised the alarm. On arrival, paramedics were treating the woman’s injuries while VRA operators cleared vegetation to create a safe exit path. Once stabilised, she was placed on a scoop stretcher and prepared for a vertical lift using a belay rescue system. The rescue team safely carried her up...