Son of a Beach wrote:What I'd already read about this story was already mind-blowingly amazing before this update. But now it's at a whole new level, yet again.
The doctor broke his own arm just before he was about to start the amputation, so he had to be flown out and replaced with another doctor. The second doctor broke the saw blade after cutting most of the way through the femur (easily done with a fragile blade, made for controlled operating theatres, when working under fast-flowing water!). He then had to snap the femur by hand.
Most of the amputation was done by feel, because he couldn't see what was underwater, and with gloves off, so he could actually feel what he was doing.
Incredible stuff!
Seeing the video of the actual moment nearly brought tears to my eyes.
There were actually two videos of the moment shown on ABC TV news. The one not included on the web page looks like it was taken from an airborne drone. I wonder if they had permission for it. Not that I care, in this particular case (I would normally be annoyed by people flouting such rules).
It's pouring rain here today so stuck indoors. I walked through the living room earlier and noticed my wife watching a rafting doco on ABC iView.
Unusual, as she isn't a bushwalker or outdoors type at all. Anyway I realised that it was the rescue/amputation from the Franklin so I ended up watching most of it.
It's part one of a 2 part series by
Australian Story and runs for 30 minutes. The 2nd part hasn't been released yet. Shows much of the rescue operation and commentary from all involved.
If you don't already have one you will need to create a free ABC iView account, and log in.
The River (Part 1):
https://iview.abc.net.au/video/NC2502Q019S00