When Heather Belevi set off on a peaceful bushwalk in near Sunshine Bay a few weeks ago, she never expected to come away in an ambulance.
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A wrong step on a rocky surface in White Stone Park sent Mrs Belevi over on her ankle, causing it to break in three places.
The Mona Vale resident said the popular walking track was one she often took when she was down visiting her sister, who lives in the area.
She said the incident was a “freak accident”.
“I’ve been up there a thousand times. I love the walk. I’ve never had any problems. I was just walking along looking at everything, and next thing, I went over on my ankle. When I went to get up, I saw my leg was away from my foot,” Mrs Belevi said.
Emergency services crews from NSW Ambulance, Batemans Bay Fire and Rescue, Surf Beach Rural Fire Service and Batemans Bay Police came to her aid.
After arriving at the scene, the next challenge for the crews was finding a way safely transport Mrs Belevi from the park to an ambulance.
“They were trying to work out how to get me down as it was so steep,” she said.
Despite the pain, the 72-year-old was able to see the funny side.
“I’ve never had so much attention from men in my life,” she joked.
After an hour-long rescue, Mrs Belevi was on her way to hospital for treatment.
While she still some way to go in her recovery, she said the care received from emergency crews and hospital staff in Batemans Bay helped ease the pain.
“I just want to say thank you,” she said.
“Without the help and compassion (of emergency crews), how would I have ever got down?
“When I got into the wards at the hospital, the service I had from the nurses was incredible
“They were so nice, so caring – nothing was too much trouble.”