A tragic incident has unfolded with a tourist in Tasmania during a kayaking trip with friends.
As per BBC, a tourist in his 60s, underwent a leg amputation in the middle of a raging river after getting trapped between rocks.
Medics revealed that after consulting with the international visitors, they made what they called a “life or death” decision during a complex 20-hour rescue operation on the Franklin River.
The visitor was partly submerged in water during the entire ordeal and rescuers said it was clear that "had he remained in the location where he was, and trapped in the rock crevice he would not have survived".
The Australian island police stated that several attempts to move him before the amputation were unsuccessful.
After making every effort to free the man overnight and with his condition worsening, the decision was made to amputate his leg so he could be lifted by a winch and then airlifted to the hospital for further treatment.
Doug Oosterloo, acting assistant commissioner at Tasmania Police, said in a statement, "This rescue was an extremely challenging and technical operation, and an incredible effort over many hours to save the man’s life.”
The man is now in the hospital and his condition is being reported as critical.
