A young Queenstown woman is lucky to be alive after she was rescued from a ledge on the fourth floor of her apartment block.
Residents of Glebe apartments were woken early yesterday by the sound of someone attempting to break into their apartment through a window, only to realise it was a woman trying to climb into what she thought was her flat.
The woman had climbed up four storeys and it was a sheer drop to the internal courtyard of the apartment building.
The residents raised the alarm and police, volunteer firefighters and a St John ambulance crew arrived at the scene about 4.40am.
Queenstown fire station officer Duncan Fisher said the woman was believed to be a New Zealander, aged in her 20s.
She was stuck and unable to move from a ledge when emergency services arrived.
Mr Fisher said the courtyard was too awkward for a ladder to be put up, so firefighters tied a rope around the woman's waist, unbolted the nearest window and pulled her indoors to safety.
The 30-minute rescue did not attract onlookers other than the residents who were woken up.
''I'd say she'd had a bit to drink, but she was coherent and understood we were trying to help her,'' Mr Fisher said.
''Police had a wee chat with her and found out where she lives. She was very apologetic.
''She had a very lucky escape.''
