Emergency crews describe attempt to rescue Lithuanian man trapped during rafting adventure on Tasmania’s Franklin River

On By Pranco

Dan Lack teaches medical professionals how to provide lifesaving healthcare in some of the world’s most challenging wilderness environments.

Providing basic health care in extreme conditions is complex, he says – and the decision by Tasmanian rescue teams to amputate a man’s limb to save a life was a “rare escalation”.

“The complexity of something like that – you can’t overstate it,” Dr. Lack said.

A man wearing a hat and rain gear, seen from above, holds a rope while partially submerged in water.

The man first made an emergency call around 3:30 PM on Friday afternoon and spent the night in the water. (Supplied: DPFEM)

On Friday afternoon, a team of rescuers worked to save a Lithuanian adventure tourist who was stuck in the Franklin River for more than 20 hours while rafting with 10 other Lithuanians.

As the 65-year-old man’s condition began to deteriorate and hypothermia set in, the decision was made to remove his left leg above the knee to save his life.

The man is in a critical condition at the Royal Hobart Hospital.

A man in professional climbing gear climbs a steep rock face with a river far below.

Dan Lack, lecturer and facilitator of expedition medicine at the University of Tasmania, teaches medical professionals how to provide healthcare in extreme conditions. (Provided: Dan Lack)

Dr. Lack teaches expedition medicine and telehealth at the University of Tasmania.

He said most health care in the wilderness was “basic.”

“No one is in the habit of amputating a leg in the middle of a river in the wilderness of Tasmania,” he said.

“The improvisation and the extra thought and extra stress that the person who performed the amputation has gone through is a really significant escalation.”

Dr. Lack said the psychological impact of the rescue would have been an important consideration during the operation and would continue to have an impact on those involved.

“The psychological dimension of this for that poor gentleman who has lost his leg and is in hospital – he will carry this for the rest of his life. That is a tragedy,” he said.

“What the rescuers had to go through to make this decision will have a major impact on them.

“The environment takes away your energy, it increases stress and creates a circumstance where you have to be very careful to assess people’s psychological state as things progress.”

13 tons of water per second to deal with

Two rescuers in hi-vis and outdoor gear walk around a rocky edge of a river.

It took a multi-agency response to rescue a Lithuanian tourist trapped in the Franklin River. (Supplied: DPFEM)

The rescue mission involved about 30 people across several agencies including Tasmania Police, State Emergency Service, Tasmanian Fire Service, Ambulance Tasmania and Surf Life Saving Tasmania.

Tasmania Police Western District Commander Stuart Wilkinson said the rescue involved 53 winches – a record number for a single operation in Tasmania.

“A number of people had to get in and take equipment down… in a very remote location in Tasmania,” Commander Wilkinson said.

Surf Life Saving Tasmania swift water rescue technician Ace Petrie said the area where the man was trapped was “probably the most inaccessible” part of the Franklin River.

Mr Petrie said it was one of the most challenging rescues he had undertaken, with around 13 tonnes of water flowing through the river per second.

A bald, middle-aged man with a serious expression and a red polo shirt speaks to the media.

Ace Petrie of Surf Life Saving Tasmania, one of the first responders on the scene, described the rescue as “confronting”. (ABC News: Jasmine Snow)

“Where the gentleman was stuck, that (water flow) was interrupted by the rock formations and everything there, but there was still a decent current and undertow,” he said.

“If you imagine pulling the plug on a bath and you have that Venturi effect that just wants to suck you down, that’s exactly what it felt like.”

Mr Petrie said the man’s preparedness saved his life.

“He had his life jacket on, which I think saved him from being sucked under that rock,” he said.

“I think it would have been a completely different outcome had he not been wearing his wetsuit and his personal flotation device.”

Language barrier added to the problems

A man between large rocks in a river holds one end of a yellow rope

The man, whose name has not been released, photographed during the rescue operation. (Supplied: Tasmania Police)

Rescuers said the man was in good spirits throughout Friday afternoon, but his condition began to deteriorate early Saturday morning due to hypothermia.

“From three o’clock onwards he slowly started to deteriorate, but his will to live was exceptional. With whatever strength he had left, he would try to squeeze his way out,” Petrie said.

What further complicated the rescue was the language barrier between the man and the rescuers.

“It was a bit confrontational because there was a lot of silence at times. You couldn’t engage him, you couldn’t take his mind off the situation,” Mr Petrie said.

“You’re sitting there holding his hand the whole time. For example, if you completed one rescue scenario to try to free him, there would be a period of silence, and that went on all night.”

Rafters on Tasmania's Franklin River in the World Heritage Area.

The Franklin River is an extremely popular destination for adventure seekers. (Vaughan Cruickshank)

Hypothermia helped amputation

After several attempts using specialist equipment over 20 hours to free the man, medical workers said the “difficult decision” had been made to amputate his leg.

“We reached the stage where we had pretty much exhausted all our rescue efforts, and then the patient’s medical condition started to dictate, OK, now it’s time,” Mr Petrie said.

“We have to get him out.”

Tourniquets were applied and a rescue frame was used to lift the man 10 feet out of the river.

“He was unconscious at the time, the doctor on site performed the amputation,” he said.

“Because of that hypothermia, it stopped the blood flow, so that worked in his favor.”