A 37-year-old Australian mother, who remains unidentified, got impaled on a high school fence on Saturday, April 5, when she attempted to climb it. Reportedly, the woman was trying to retrieve her daughter's cell phone, which was left at the high school.
Videos by Wide Open Country
According to 7News Australia, emergency services found the woman "dangling by her left arm" on a Riverstone High School fence, located in Riverston, New South Wales. On Saturday morning, they were able to get her off the fence that had already caused her an immense amount of pain as she was still conscious upon arrival. She had been stuck for about two hours, according to officials.
New South Wales Ambulance Inspector Nathan Sheraton spoke with 7News Australia, detailing the incident.
"With the help of bystanders, we managed to secure some ladders to try and get the pressure off the actual arm itself," Sheraton told the outlet. "It's evident that the fence tore some of the flesh, which caused significant pain to her."
Emergency responders were able to cut the fence and left it embedded in her arm, as per Sheraton. The woman was then transported to the Royal North Shore Hospital in an ambulance.
'Absolutely Insane'
Video footage obtained by 7News Australia shows the unidentified mother approaching Riverstone High School. She proceeds to start climbing the fence, which inevitably led to her gruesome injury. Her daughter, who was reportedly accompanying her during the ordeal, asked neighbor Norm Gibson for help.
"The first thing we knew was when a young lady came banging on our door in a panic. Could we phone for an ambulance?" Gibson told the outlet. "After that, ambulance and police and everybody else [arrived], including the helicopter."
It was then revealed that the woman had come to the school because her daughter's cell phone was left inside the school over the weekend. Katelyn Campbell, a witness, described the incident as "absolutely insane."
"She shouldn't be entering school grounds," Campbell added. "The daughter could have just waited until Monday to retrieve the phone. Instead, she's put her own life at stake."
Sharing the same sentiment, Sheraton advises parents to call the school's security personnel instead of climbing fences. "Give them a call, they'll come out and help you, don't climb the fence, it's dangerous," he said.
