In brief
A foreign tourist in his 60s faced a life-threatening ordeal while kayaking on the Franklin River in Tasmania, Australia. After becoming trapped between rocks, significant rescue efforts ensued, lasting over 20 hours and culminating in the amputation of his leg due to deteriorating health conditions.
The man was part of a group kayaking expedition when the incident occurred on Friday. After losing contact, emergency teams were alerted by a distress signal from his smartwatch around 3:30 p.m. Upon reaching him, rescuers struggled to free the kayaker as darkness fell, forcing them to leave him partly submerged in the chilly waters overnight. A medical team remained on-site to monitor his condition, but attempts to extract him the following morning were unsuccessful. Options were limited, and with his health rapidly declining, the difficult decision was made to amputate his leg in order to facilitate a rescue. Doug Oosterloo, acting assistant commissioner of Tasmania Police, emphasized the complexities of the operation and that every possible measure was taken before resorting to amputation. The man was subsequently airlifted to Hobart hospital, where he remains in critical condition; authorities are working to inform his family of the situation.
