In an astonishing incident in regional New South Wales, 22-year-old Matilda Campbell found herself in a precarious situation after slipping head-first into a three-meter crevice while attempting to retrieve her phone. She remained wedged between boulders for an excruciating seven hours before being rescued.

We sat down with Peter Watts, a specialist rescue paramedic with a decade of experience, who played a pivotal role in the operation. He recounted how Matilda’s friends initially tried to help her for an hour while she hung upside down before they decided to call for emergency assistance.

“The operation was unlike anything I’ve encountered before,” Watts expressed. “It was challenging but incredibly rewarding. Working alongside a multidisciplinary team, we systematically removed several heavy boulders to create a safe access point.”

The rescue team utilized a specialist winch to move a daunting 500kg boulder and constructed a hardwood frame to stabilize the area during the operation. According to Watts, the maneuver to extract Campbell took an additional hour as they navigated her feet-first through a tight S-bend.

Despite the ordeal, Campbell emerged with only minor scratches and bruises, though her phone was lost in the process. Reflecting on her experience, she took to social media to share her gratitude. “It’s safe to say I’m the most accident-prone person ever. I’m OK, just recovering from some injuries—no more rock exploration for me for a while!” she wrote.

Campbell also expressed heartfelt appreciation for those who helped her. “I want to give the biggest shoutout to my friends and the rescue team. I’m forever thankful because, without them, I might not be here today.”