Dr Jorian Kippax is an emergency medicine specialist based in Tasmania, Australia — but his work spans mountaintops, disaster zones, and deep wilderness. He’s a Retrieval Consultant with Ambulance Tasmania’s Critical Care and Retrieval Service, and a Trauma Specialist at the Royal Hobart Hospital. He’s also a veteran of international disaster response, having led medical teams in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan and earthquakes in Myanmar as part of Australia’s elite AUSMAT deployment force.

In November 2024 he was involved in a 22-hour rescue deep in Tasmania’s Franklin River wilderness. He performed a life-saving underwater field amputation to free a trapped rafter using only the gear that could be delivered by helicopter. That act of skilled courage earned him Lithuania’s Life Saving Cross and the 2026 Australian of the Year for Tasmania.

In today's episode, Dr Kippax shares a firsthand account of the rescue, and we explore the underlying human factors skills used by him and the large team of specialists that day.

To watch the ABC News Documentary: You Tube: https://youtu.be/nMa-Lqxfzqk?si=3or2-2ZjAh6oziyi

https://australianoftheyear.org.au/recipients/dr-jorian-kippax

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