A Lithuanian tourist is fighting for his life after having his leg amputated in a bid to save his life during a dramatic 20-hour whitewater rescue in Tasmania.
The 69-year-old Lithuanian remains in hospital in critical condition following a dramatic rescue on Saturday after becoming trapped between rocks in the Franklin River a day earlier.
The man, who has 50 years of rafting experience, was on the river with a group of friends from Lithuania when he slipped on a rock and his leg became trapped underwater.
When rescuers ran out of options after several failed attempts to free him, and fearing his condition would worsen, the decision was made to amputate his leg above the knee.
Tasmania Police Constable Callum Herbert said the rescue efforts were one of the most intense scenes he had ever seen in the region.
“Most traps would be simpler than this,” he said.
‘This patient was so trapped that it was a limb amputation.
“It’s pretty much the worst-case scenario you can find, other than drowning.”
The 69-year-old man was on a kayak trip when he slipped and fell into the water, becoming trapped between rocks. Photos: Tasmania Police
It took rescuers 20 hours to free the man. Photos: Tasmania Police
‘He has fallen into the river in an uncomfortable position.
‘The circumstances under which he could not be physically removed, every angle available to try to manipulate him and every angle available.
Surf Life Saving Tasmania whitewater rescue technician Ace Petrie praised the man and his crew for their efforts during the challenging rescue.
“His rafting team had done a great job securing it as best they could,” Petrie said.
“I was kind of trapped, I would describe it as an hourglass, my knee was stuck in the rocks in a deep section of that rapid.
‘There were a number of dangers that we had to face and resolve in order to access the patient and make a more detailed assessment of his entrapment.
“That rapid was moving pretty fast, the water level of the Franklin River was half of normal.”
Petrie said the rescue was hampered by the “very dynamic, changing and dangerous environment” they were all in.
“We would have liked the river to be as low as possible, that would have made extraction a little easier,” he said.
“We were lucky that the weather was on our side and the water level did not rise, which would have changed the complexity.
‘By the time it came in, it was about chest height.
‘As the hours passed, the water level was dropping, but not fast enough as we would have liked.
“I was quite surprised by the temperature of the water, it wasn’t as cold as it can be, especially in winter.”
Rescuers on the Franklin River in southwest Tasmania spent a lot of time working to free the Lithuanian. Photos: Tasmania Police
decide to amputate
The decision was made by medical professionals and in consultation with the man, allowing him to be taken to safety and airlifted to Royal Hobart Hospital.
Petrie said efforts to free the man were arduous, with rescuers even attempting to use the jaws of underwater lifesaving equipment.
After assessing his entrapment, we begin with basic scenarios using ropes and pulleys.
“We weren’t moving these rocks at all, this lasted about 10 to 12 hours,” he said.
‘We had to put that equipment in the water, it was flowing quite quickly, which made it difficult to stabilize it at that time.
“Everyone wanted this guy out. We didn’t give up.”
Another issue that proved challenging for the rescue team was the lack of English the man could speak.
“There was some broken English, like when we were trying to get his leg out, he could say ‘My leg is broken’ or ‘broken leg,’ but other than that we couldn’t distract him from the situation by talking. Talk to him about his family or the trips he had taken. done,” Mr. Petrie said.
“That was really difficult.”
Fortunately, one of the men’s traveling companions was a Lithuanian doctor who was able to translate some of the medical information required before it was decided that amputation was the only option.
“The complexities of amputation anywhere are significant,” Ambulance Tasmania critical care flight paramedic Mitch Parkinson said.
‘There is an incredible ethical (and) legal component to that discussion and then we focus on the complexities of what needs to be done to achieve her rescue and that is in broken English and shared through a Lithuanian translator.
‘We did everything we could to convey the reality of his trap.
‘When it came time to discuss the realities of his trap and the decisions that were being made in real time and those that could be made the next morning, he was an exceptional resource for us and we benefited greatly from his presence.
“There was an understanding that every effort imaginable was made across the variety of technicians that were present, the resources available in remote Tasmania, this was not a discussion or a decision made lightly, but was made with the breadth of information and resources we had at our disposal.’
The man was rafting with a group of friends when the tragedy occurred. The image shows the rescuers during the rescue.
Parkinson said the man’s perspective on the whole situation was remarkable and that he remained “exceptionally strong and robust” throughout the ordeal.
“He maintained an exceptionally resilient personality throughout the night and became tired during the morning,” he said.
“This was an exceptionally long mission.”
Earlier, Tasmania Police Acting Deputy Commissioner Doug Oosterloo said immense effort was put into the mission to help the man.
“This rescue was a technical and extremely challenging operation and an incredible effort lasting many hours to save the man’s life,” he said.
‘Everything was done to remove the man before the difficult decision was made to amputate his leg.
“The professionalism and commitment of all emergency services is to be commended.”
How the ordeal unfolded
The man was kayaking with friends in a private tour group Friday afternoon when his leg became caught between rocks in the rapids, trapping him.
His smartwatch called emergency services about an hour later.
Rescuers from Ambulance Tasmania, Tasmania Police, Surf Life Saving Tasmania, the SES and the Tasmanian Fire Service came to their aid.
Scene from the Franklin River rescue where a man in his 60s was trapped and had to have his leg amputated. Image: Tasmania Police
And over the next 20 hours, repeated efforts were made to free him, but all were unsuccessful.
During the rescue, the man remained partially submerged in the water.
And when further attempts to free him failed on Saturday, the decision was made to amputate his leg so he could be taken to safety.
“The operation was carried out successfully by the medical team, with the assistance of specialist equipment,” Tasmania Police said.