Most people have a hard time parting ways with their phone these days but there are some cases where cutting the proverbial umbilical cord should be an obvious call. Take, for example, a woman who dropped her phone in an opening between boulders in New South Wales, Australia and decided to try and find it. Rather than chalk it up to a loss, the 23-year-old hiker found herself stuck for the next several hours.
According to NSW Ambulance, Matilda Campbell first dropped her phone into the crevice while taking photos along her hike with friends. She slipped and fell into a three-meter crevice trying to retrieve it and was left hanging upside down — all this in an area with no cell phone service. Her friends first tried to get her out of the crevice but were unsuccessful after the first hour, eventually giving in to reach out for more help.
The ensuing rescue included the Cessnock Volunteer Rescue Association, Rural Fire Service, and NSW Ambulance. A paramedic from the department worked with a “multidisciplinary team,” according to NSW Ambulance, to first remove some boulders so they could reach her. They built hardwood frames for support and safety and employed the use of a winch to move the boulders ranging from 80kg to as much as 500kg and clear out an opening. Seven hours later, they were able to remove the woman from the small opening.
“In my 10 years as a rescue paramedic I had never encountered a job quite like this, it was challenging but incredibly rewarding,” paramedic Peter Watts said.
And in case you’re wondering, the phone was never recovered.