On October 21st, an Australian woman was hiking with her friends in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales. She dropped her phone into a crevice, and in an attempt to rescue it, she fell through it. Falling 10ft headfirst into a "tight "S" bend" secured her place between the rocks.
Videos by Wide Open Country
The New South Wales (NSW) Ambulance documented the event through a post on their Facebook page, where images of the stuck Matilda Campbell can be seen.
Her friends tried to rescue her initially, but she was stuck far too tight. After calling Triple Zero (000), they managed to hail emergency services. An hour had already passed.
A multidisciplinary team rushed to the rescue with NSW Ambulance Specialist Rescue Paramedic Peter Watts. The predicament the poor Campbell got herself into was a unique one that required, brainstorming and specialist equipment. "With care, a hardwood frame was built to ensure stability while rescuers worked."
Through teamwork and Campbell's cooperation, and after using a specialised Tirfor winch to move a 500KG boulder, Campbell was freed.
Woman Stuck Upside Down Between Boulders For Hours
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."
Despite being stuck in the hole for so long upside down, Matilda Campbell was reportedly calm, collected, and cooperative.
Watts told ABC News, "She was such a trooper."
"I was very impressed with how chilled she was," he added, "I would have been beside myself stuck in that sort of situation, but when we were there she was calm, she was collected, anything we asked her to do she was able to do it to help us get her out."
"I've never been to one in 10 years like that," he added, describing the peculiarity of the situation.
Thanks to the combined efforts of all involved, Campbell was able to be saved. She suffered only light injuries, such as scratches and light bruises. Her level-headedness likely saved her from further harm.
The phone didn't make it, however, so not everyone could be saved. RIP.
