In a scene mirroring a Hollywood movie, a kayaker was rescued after a 20-hour ordeal on a river in Southern Australia that saw the man’s leg amputated, police confirmed afterwards. Photo courtesy of Tasmania Police
Nov. 23 (UPI) — In a scene mirroring a Hollywood movie, a kayaker was rescued after a 20-hour ordeal on a river in Southern Australia that saw the man’s leg amputated, police confirmed afterwards.
The 60-year-old tourist got his leg wedged between rocks while kayaking through rapids on the Franklin River in the Australian state of Tasmania, leading to an all-out rescue effort, Tasmania Police said in a statement on Facebook.
After being freed from the 80-mile, major perennial river, the man was airlifted to hospital in critical condition.
Officials did not say where the man is from, only that he was visiting from an international destination. Police were working to contact the man’s family Saturday.
The call for help went out around 3:30 p.m. local time Friday.
Specialty rescue units from across the state responded and attempted to free the man, who had been kayaking as part of a larger group
“The location on the Franklin River and the accessibility of the area added to the complexity of the response,” police said in their statement.
“Several attempts were made to extract the man yesterday evening and overnight, but were not successful.”
The man remained partially submerged in the river throughout the duration of the rescue attempt, although he was wearing a wetsuit. Officials stayed with him overnight as his condition deteriorated.
“A medical assessment determined the patient’s condition was deteriorating. In consultation with the patient, the decision was made to amputate his leg to facilitate his rescue. The operation was successfully undertaken by the medical team, with the aid of specialist equipment,” police said in the statement.
Temperatures in Tasmania fell to 56 degrees overnight Saturday.
“This rescue was an extremely challenging and technical operation, and an incredible effort over many hours to save the man’s life,” Tasmania Police Acting Assistant Commissioner Doug Oosterloo said in the agency’s statement.
“Every effort was made to extract the man before the difficult decision to amputate his leg.