When Matilda Campbell became wedged in a tight crevice between two boulders in the bush near Cessnock, Australia, it took an army of dedicated emergency services workers to free her.
Last week, the 23-year-old from Newcastle reunited with members of the local ambulance, police, fire service and Volunteer Rescue Association who helped free her from the seven-hour ordeal.
“I felt like I was going to be stuck forever,” Matilda tells Woman’s Day.
While tramping with her friend Kieanna on a weekend away, Matilda’s phone slipped into a tight crevice between the two boulders it had been resting on.
“I had just planned a weekend to celebrate my friend’s birthday,” she says. “It’s changed my perspective on life.”
The supermarket worker became lodged headfirst in the 3m-deep hole while attempting to rescue her phone.
“There was no phone service where Kieanna and I were. So, she went to wake up my other friends to see if they could help get me out. That’s when I realised how bad the situation was,” Matilda shares.
Emergency services arrived an hour after Matilda became wedged. They quickly worked to remove seven boulders weighing up to 500kg each.
New South Wales volunteer rescuer Jason Sattler says it was reassuring Matilda remained conscious during the rescue operation. This allowed them to take their time to safely free her.
“If ut wasn’t for then, I wouldn’t be here, so I feel really thankful,” she said after reuniting with her rescuers last week.
Of the now-famous image of Matilda’s feet trapped between the rocks, Jason adds, “It looked like they were levitating in the air because she had dark pants on. It was an operation we were never going to be able to rush.” Once freed, Matilda spent three days in nearby John Hunter Hospital to treat her grazes and a fractured vertebra.
While her phone remains lost, Matilda is just happy she wasn’t seriously injured.
“This is a good message for people not to put themselves in danger for a mobile phone,” she says.
