An Australian woman got stuck upside down in a rocky crevice

A lost cell phone led to a frightening experience for a 23-year-old woman named Matilda Campbell in Australia. While hiking with friends in New South Wales, Matilda dropped her phone while taking pictures. When she tried to retrieve it, she ended up falling nearly 10 feet into a rocky crevice and got wedged between two boulders.

At the time, Matilda and her friends were out of cell service, which made the situation even trickier. As she crawled into the narrow space between the boulders, she slipped and fell, ending up stuck upside down for several hours. Her friends desperately tried to get her out for over an hour before they finally hiked to a spot where they could call for help.

A Tough but Rewarding Rescue

Emergency services arrived and had to be extra careful as they worked to stabilize the area around Matilda. They even had to move a boulder weighing about 1,000 pounds using a specialized winch to free her from the awkward position she was in. The rescuers also built a wooden frame to keep everything secure while they worked on the rescue. One of the first responders, Peter Watts, shared that in his decade of experience, he had never faced a rescue quite like this one, calling it “challenging” but “incredibly rewarding.”

Throughout her ordeal, Matilda managed to stay calm. Peter Watts praised her composure, saying, “She was such a trooper.” He noted that she did everything they asked to help facilitate her rescue, which was impressive given the situation.

Though Matilda didn’t manage to get her phone back, she took to social media after the rescue to express her gratitude. In her post, she thanked her rescuers, saying, “Thank you to the team who saved me. You guys are literally lifesavers… too bad about the phone, though.”

Bruised but Grateful

In the end, Matilda escaped with only a few scratches and bruises, which was a relief considering how dangerous her situation could have been. Hanging upside down for so long posed serious health risks, including the potential for increased blood pressure and slowed heart rate, which could lead to blood pooling in the head—a condition that can be fatal.

After returning home, Matilda shared her experience on Facebook, humorously referring to herself as “the most accident-prone person ever.” She reassured everyone that she was okay, though she needed time to recover. In another post, she gave a heartfelt shoutout to her friends and the rescue team, emphasizing how thankful she was for their efforts and how they likely saved her life. She said, “I love you guys, and you mean the world to me.”

Overall, while losing a phone is never fun, Matilda’s experience serves as a reminder of the risks we can face in the great outdoors—and sometimes, it’s better to just let go of that phone!