A woman hiking in Australia managed to get herself stuck between a rock and a hard place after becoming wedged between two boulders for seven hours as she tried to retrieve her phone.

The female had been walking in the beautiful Hunter Valley region of New South Wales, around three hours north of Sydney, when she slipped into a three-metre long crevice as she attempted to grab her dropped mobile. 

According to the New South Wales Ambulance Service, the woman’s friends called the emergency services after several unsuccessful attempts to free her themselves. 

In a statement, NSW Ambulance Service said: “Specialist Rescue Paramedic Peter Watts worked with a multidisciplinary team to remove several heavy boulders to create a safe access point.

“With care, a hardwood frame was built to ensure stability while rescuers worked. With both feet now accessible, the team faced the challenge of navigating the patient out through a tight “S” bend over the course of an hour.

“It took teamwork and a specialised Tirfor (a device that can be used to lift and pull heavy loads) to move a massive 500kg boulder.”

Mr Watts said that in 10 years as a rescue paramedic, he had never experienced an operation like it. 

The specialist paramedic added: “It was challenging but incredibly rewarding, every agency had a role, and we all worked incredibly well together to achieve a good outcome for the patient.”

NSW Ambulance Service said it took seven hours from the beginning of her ordeal to free the patient, and that she escaped with only minor scratches and bruises.

The organisation added she was unable to retrieve her phone.

The Hunter Valley is a picturesque wine region in the north of New South Wales and is a popular destination for walkers and for romantic weekends, and stag and hen parties. 

With good transport links to Sydney to the south, the area is one of the most-visited parts of Australia, welcoming around 2.5 million people annually.