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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Henry Belot

‘He was wedged like an hourglass’: rescuers describe 20-hour ordeal ending with amputation of rafter’s leg

Police handout photo from Franklin River kayaker rescue in Tasmania
Police involved in the rescue of a rafter from the Franklin River in Tasmania described the situation as ‘the worst case scenario of the worst case scenario’. Photograph: Tasmania police

A 69-year-old Lithuanian man has been praised for his “extraordinary resilience” after emergency service workers were forced to amputate his leg during a 20-hour rescue operation in remote south-west Tasmania.

The man, who remained in a critical condition in Royal Hobart hospital on Sunday evening, had been travelling with a group of 11 tourists on a multi-day rafting trip on the remote Franklin River.

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