Packer retriever

A packer retriever for use in a wellbore, comprising:

• a grapple body having a central opening and external teeth for engaging inside a bore of a packer;
• and
• a mandrel having a smooth external surface adapted to extend through the central opening to permit rotation and/or vertical movement thereof relative to the grapple body while the external teeth of the grapple body are engaged inside the bore of the packer;
• the external teeth having an external diameter sized to allow entry into and positioning in the bore of the packer upon application of a downward force on the grapple body to grip and support the packer for catching the packer to prevent the packer from falling while milling the packer.

A method of retrieving a packer having a packer bore from a wellbore using a packer retriever having a milling tool, a mandrel with a shoulder, and a grapple body, the method comprising:

• lowering the packer retriever into a wellbore having a packer held therein;
• engaging the packer bore with the grapple body;
• milling the packer while the grapple body engages the packer bore without rotation;
• and
• retrieving the packer retriever with remaining packer components after the packer becomes free of the wellbore.