A packer or bridge plug is described which may be released by manipulation of the production tubing connected to it. If manipulation of the production tubing is unsuccessful in releasing the packer, the tensile strength of the production tubing need not be exceeded in attempting to remove the packer. Instead, the production tubing is removed along with certain internal components of the packer. Thereafter, heavy-wall tubing, with or without jars, can be lowered into the wellbore with a retrieving tool at the bottom of that string. The retrieving tool latches onto components of the packer to allow an alternative method of release which allows for use of significantly higher tensile loads to liberate the packer from the wellbore.