Franklin River Extraction: Trapped In The Rapids

A Prehospital and Transport Medicine – Special Presentation

RPPEO paramedics and staff are invited to attend a special virtual presentation featuring an extraordinary case from prehospital and transport medicine, shared live from Tasmania, Australia.

Franklin River Extraction: Trapped in the Rapids recounts a complex wilderness rescue on Tasmania’s remote Franklin River, where a critically injured patient became trapped in powerful rapids during a rafting expedition. After prolonged rescue efforts and rapidly deteriorating conditions, the response team faced an extremely rare and challenging decision in order to save the patient’s life.

>>>Click here to learn more about this case!

This case will be presented by Dr. Jorian “Jo” Kippax, an emergency physician and trauma specialist, and offers a unique opportunity to explore:

• Clinical decision‑making under extreme environmental constraints
• Coordination across rescue, medical, and transport teams
• Ethical and operational considerations in austere, high‑risk settings
• The realities of providing advanced care far from definitive resources

The presentation is highly relevant to anyone working in prehospital care, critical care transport, emergency medicine, or system planning, and highlights the professionalism, adaptability, and teamwork required when standard pathways are no longer an option.

RPPEO colleagues are warmly encouraged to attend this session and learn from a case that underscores both the complexity and the impact of prehospital medicine at its limits.

To attend: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/254274622949883?p=iQ0Afa4Mlx2Stg0IVu.

To receive credit for your attendance, please email education@RPPEO.ca following your participation in the online event.