The loss of a leg

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We watched an amazing two-part documentary showing the rescue of a 66-year-old Lithuanian white-water rafter, Valdas Bieliauskas, who slipped on a rock while negotiating the Franklin River in Tasmania. Valdas was travelling with a group of paddler friends, trying to tick off a river on five continents. The Franklin, a wild river in very rugged terrain, was the last on their list. Valdas was in water up to his chest and his leg was trapped. It was to be a 23-hour ordeal before rescuers were able to free him – but only after amputating his leg above the knee. There were a number of problems to overcome. Everything was flown in by helicopter, although it couldn’t land. Spreaders, hydraulics and airbags were used to try to free the leg. A tripod was drilled into the rocks to hold a pulley and try to shift his body enough to get him free. Eventually the decision was made to amputate. But the usual Velcro fastenings used for a tourniquet wouldn’t hold in the water; the first doctor slipped at a crucial point and broke his wrist, necessitating flying in another doctor and more delays; and the saw used for amputations broke. The amputation had to take place under the freezing water meaning the doctor could only work by feel. When they eventually lifted him out of the water, Valdas’ heart stopped beating, necessitation the attachment of a mechanical CPR machine. He was winched into the helicopter and flown to the Royal Hobart Hospital. No-one expected him to recover but recover he did and is now back in Lithuania, learning to use a prosthetic leg. If you want to watch the documentary, searching for Australian Story: The River should take you to it. The photo is of a small river in Tasmania but not the Franklin.