**Emergency responders made a life-saving decision after a prolonged rescue effort kept the man's heart racing.**
**Tragic Kayaking Accident in Tasmania Results in Leg Amputation for Tourist**
**Tragic Kayaking Accident in Tasmania Results in Leg Amputation for Tourist**
**An international tourist faces a critical recovery after a harrowing experience in the Franklin River.**
A tourist in his 60s endured a severe leg amputation while caught between rocks in Tasmania's Franklin River after a kayaking expedition turned disastrous. The visitor was with a group of colleagues when he slipped and became trapped in a perilous rock crevice, marking the onset of a grueling rescue saga that spanned 20 hours.
Medics faced a "life or death" scenario, meticulously consulting with the trapped man before deciding on the drastic measure to amputate his leg for extraction. According to officials, rescue efforts initially proved ineffective, putting the man at great risk of drowning while partially submerged in chilling waters.
Authorities were alerted after the man's smartwatch sent out a distress signal because his friends were unable to reach him. As conditions worsened overnight without improvement, the decision to amputate became necessary to facilitate his rescue and urgent airlifting to medical care, as described by Doug Oosterloo, the acting assistant commissioner of Tasmania Police.
"This was a life and death situation," Oosterloo told ABC, underscoring the intense circumstances of the operation. Fortunately, the man currently remains in critical condition but received essential medical attention.
Oosterloo noted that while the kayaker came well-prepared for the trip, he was not ready for the extreme challenges posed by the sudden entrapment in a rock crevice under fast-moving water for an extended period. Meanwhile, emergency services are in the process of evacuating the remaining kayakers and plan to gather more details about the incident from them.
The shocking incident serves as a stark reminder of the potential hazards associated with adventure activities in the wild.
Medics faced a "life or death" scenario, meticulously consulting with the trapped man before deciding on the drastic measure to amputate his leg for extraction. According to officials, rescue efforts initially proved ineffective, putting the man at great risk of drowning while partially submerged in chilling waters.
Authorities were alerted after the man's smartwatch sent out a distress signal because his friends were unable to reach him. As conditions worsened overnight without improvement, the decision to amputate became necessary to facilitate his rescue and urgent airlifting to medical care, as described by Doug Oosterloo, the acting assistant commissioner of Tasmania Police.
"This was a life and death situation," Oosterloo told ABC, underscoring the intense circumstances of the operation. Fortunately, the man currently remains in critical condition but received essential medical attention.
Oosterloo noted that while the kayaker came well-prepared for the trip, he was not ready for the extreme challenges posed by the sudden entrapment in a rock crevice under fast-moving water for an extended period. Meanwhile, emergency services are in the process of evacuating the remaining kayakers and plan to gather more details about the incident from them.
The shocking incident serves as a stark reminder of the potential hazards associated with adventure activities in the wild.
