A woman has died in a rafting accident in a remote part of Tasmania’s southwest.
The 49-year-old woman from Tasmania’s south drowned on Thursday afternoon.
Initial investigations indicated her raft flipped in the rapids of the Franklin River.
Members of the rafting party attempted CPR on the woman, but she was unable to be revived.
The group of 12 were on a rafting trip in the Franklin River, deep in the Tasmanian World Heritage Wilderness Area.
Tasmania Police Search and Rescue teams, along with helicopters and paramedics, successfully recovered the group from near Livingston Rivulet and the Coruscades rapid on the Franklin River on Friday.
No other members of the group, including the victim’s partner, suffered serious physical injuries.
Helicopters first tried to rescue the group on Thursday afternoon but had to postpone until Friday morning due to difficult weather conditions and poor visibility.
Much of the group’s camping gear, tents, tarps and clothing had been lost in the river on Thursday.
Acting Inspector Russell Judges from the Tasmania Police Marine and Rescue Western Division stated that the operation was challenging due to the area’s remote and rugged terrain.
“This is a tragic event in what was supposed to be an adventurous outing for a group of friends passionate about the Tasmanian wilderness,” Judges mentioned.
Police are still investigating, but it appears that the group, who were experienced in navigating the Tasmanian outdoors, had set up the trip themselves as part of a 10-day rafting adventure in the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park.
The accident occurred on the fifth day of the trip.
