US firefighters cut through concrete and used a soapy lubricant to free a woman who fell and became stuck in a narrow opening between two buildings in Portland, Oregon.
The woman spent about four hours in a space about 20-25cm wide.
After she emerged she raised her head, clenched her fists and shouted: "Oh, my God."
Portland firefighters said they had not had a clear explanation of how the woman got into the predicament.
Lieutenant Rich Chatman of Portland Fire and Rescue said she had been seen smoking or walking on the roof of a two-storey building before she fell.
The woman was wedged about 1.2 metres above the ground before rescuers installed braces to support her.
Firefighters turned on a portable heater to keep her warm in near-freezing temperatures while they dropped an air bag into the opening to slightly spread the walls.
Rescuers then cut holes in different parts of the brick to try to figure out how best to free her.
After rescuers cut a window-size opening in the concrete wall, Mr Chatman climbed in to help apply the soapy substance.
The woman then wiggled toward the hole as the rescue team tugged on her.
"It was so tight that it really wasn't until about the last foot or so that I could really get a visual, or she could actually see me," Mr Chatman said.
"And she had that look in her eye like she was coming out no matter what."
She was taken to the Oregon Health and Science University hospital and appeared to be in good health.
