In brief
A foreign tourist, in his 60s, faced a life-threatening situation on the Franklin River, leading to a 20-hour rescue operation where medical professionals had to amputate his leg.
A kayaker’s leg was amputated on Saturday following a 20-hour rescue operation after he became trapped in rocks while navigating the Franklin River in Tasmania, Australia. The man, identified as a foreign tourist in his 60s, was part of a group expedition when he got his leg wedged in a remote section of the rapids. Rescue teams responded to a distress signal from the man’s smartwatch at around 3:30 p.m. on Friday. Upon their arrival, the initial attempts to free him failed, leading to a long and grueling night where he remained partially submerged in the river. As dawn broke, his condition worsened, prompting the decision to perform an amputation using specialized equipment after consulting with the victim. “This rescue was an extremely challenging and technical operation,” stated Doug Oosterloo, acting assistant commissioner of the Tasmania Police. The man has since been airlifted to a Hobart hospital and is currently in critical condition.
