A man visiting Tasmania endured a harrowing rescue that resulted in the amputation of his leg after he became trapped between rocks while kayaking with friends. The incident occurred on Friday afternoon in the swift waters of the Franklin River, where the man, in his 60s, fell into a rock crevice while scouting the area.
Tourist’s Life-Saving Amputation in Tasmania River Rescue
Tourist’s Life-Saving Amputation in Tasmania River Rescue
A kayaking accident in Tasmania leaves a tourist with a leg amputated after getting trapped for hours.
Emergency services were alerted when the man's smartwatch sent out a distress signal. As he remained partially submerged and his health continued to deteriorate, rescuers made the difficult choice to amputate his leg after several attempts to extricate him failed. For nearly 20 hours, the operation was fraught with tension as rescuers worked against time to save his life.
“It was a true life-or-death situation,” commented Doug Oosterloo, acting assistant commissioner of Tasmania Police. The tourist, initially in stable condition before the fall, is now in a critical state in the hospital. Oosterloo noted the kayak group, which consisted of 10 other travelers, had stopped to rest on the shore when the accident happened—elaborating that the man slipped while exploring the area. Meanwhile, rescue teams are currently in the process of debriefing the other kayakers to ascertain more details about the unfortunate incident.
“It was a true life-or-death situation,” commented Doug Oosterloo, acting assistant commissioner of Tasmania Police. The tourist, initially in stable condition before the fall, is now in a critical state in the hospital. Oosterloo noted the kayak group, which consisted of 10 other travelers, had stopped to rest on the shore when the accident happened—elaborating that the man slipped while exploring the area. Meanwhile, rescue teams are currently in the process of debriefing the other kayakers to ascertain more details about the unfortunate incident.
