Woman, 60, rescued from remote Western Australia cave after 12-hour ordeal

A 60-year-old woman was rescued after spending a night trapped in a cave system in Western Australia's remote Goldfields region. Photo / Goldfields-Esperance District WA police, Department of Fire and Emergency Services WA.

A woman has been rescued after spending the night trapped in a cave system in Western Australia’s remote Goldfields region.

The 60-year-old had been walking with her partner near Lake Wells, about 1200km northeast of Perth, when she fell about 8m below ground on Friday afternoon (local time).

Emergency services sprung into action after her partner raised the alarm at about 5pm.

After working through the night to bring specialised rescue equipment to the remote scene, she was pulled from the system injured shortly after 5.30am on Saturday.

She was then taken to Laverton Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Laverton police officer in charge Senior Sergeant Brendan Grogan said the woman’s partner had been able to provide supplies, including first aid, to her before emergency services arrived, with the situation underscoring the importance of being well-prepared.

“This was teamwork at its best. Every agency played a vital role in bringing this woman to safety,” he said.

“It also reinforces the importance of being well-prepared, as the woman and her partner were, and serves as a reminder of how quickly a perfect day outdoors, can shift into a potentially life-threatening emergency.”

Department of Fire and Emergency Services acting superintendent for the Goldfields-Midlands region Murray McBride said it was a relief for crews to get her out and into the care of paramedics.

He described the rescue as “tricky”, requiring a lot of skill in specialised vertical rescue.

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