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Kayaker’s leg amputated at Tasmania river after 20-hour rescue to free him from rocks
A man’s leg was amputated and he is fighting for his life after he was trapped between rocks of a raging river during a kayaking trip in Tasmania.
Officials said the man, an international tourist in his 60s, was kayaking with friends in the Franklin River when he slipped and became trapped between rocks in the river rapids on Friday afternoon.
Doug Oosterloo, the acting assistant police commissioner for Tasmania police, said the man’s smartwatch made a call for assistance about an hour after getting stuck and it triggered a massive emergency response.
“Several attempts were made to extract the man yesterday evening and overnight but were not successful,” police said in a statement. “The man was made as comfortable as possible as he remained partly submerged in the river.”
A medical team stayed with the man throughout the night. After they determined his condition was deteriorating, the decision was made to amputate his leg to facilitate his rescue.
“This rescue was an extremely challenging and technical operation and an incredible effort over many hours to save the man’s life,” Oosterloo said. “Every effort was made to extract the man before the difficult decision to amputate his leg.”
The man was taken to the hospital in critical condition, police said.
Oosterloo told the Australian Associated Press that the other 10 travelers who were with the man had stopped kayaking and were on the shore when the man slipped.
“He was scouting the area and he slipped and fell into the rock crevice,” he said, according to CBS News partner BBC.
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Dartmouth sorority, 2 members of fraternity face charges after student who went to party drowned
A sorority at Dartmouth College and two members of a fraternity are facing charges related to the death of a student who drowned after attending an off-campus party this summer.
Won Jang, 20, of Middletown, Delaware, had been reported missing in July after the party. State and local emergency responders searched the Connecticut River and found his body.
On Friday, police in Hanover, New Hampshire, where Dartmouth is located, announced that Alpha Phi has been charged with one count of facilitating an underage alcohol house. Two members of the Beta Alpha Omega were charged with providing alcohol to a person under 21.
The party was hosted by Alpha Phi sorority and alcohol was provided by Beta Alpha Omega. Most of those at the party were under 21. At the end of the party, police said several attendees decided to swim in the river. While at the river, a heavy rainstorm hit and most people left. Jang, whose family told authorities he could not swim, was left behind.
At the time of the incident, Dartmouth suspended the sorority and fraternity and those suspensions remain in effect. Jang was a member of Beta Alpha Omega.
“Dartmouth has long valued the contributions that Greek organizations bring to the student experience, when they are operating within their stated values and standards,” the college said in a statement. “These organizations, as well as all Dartmouth students and community members, have a responsibility to ensure Dartmouth remains a safe, respectful, equitable, and inclusive community for students, faculty, and staff.”
No one from Alpha Phi could be reached for comment.
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Singer-songwriter Khalid comes out as gay on social media after being outed
Singer-songwriter Khalid came out as gay on social media after he was outed, according to his posts on X.
The Grammy nominee, 26, posted a rainbow flag emoji and short statement on X on Friday afternoon.
“there yall go. next topic please lol,” Khalid, whose full name is Khalid Donnel Robinson, wrote.
In a later post, Khalid said that he had been “outted,” but did not provide any other information or context.
“The world still continues to turn,” he wrote. He added that he was “not ashamed” of his sexuality, but had not publicly spoken about it because “it ain’t nobodies business.” He responded to multiple fans’ comments to say he was never “hiding” his sexual orientation.
In a final post, he said he was done discussing the topic. He also shared some of the posts on his Instagram story, thanking fans for “all of the support.”
CBS News reached out to Khalid’s representatives for any additional comment.
Khalid released his third studio album “Sincere” in August. Throughout his career, he has earned critical acclaim and has been nominated for six Grammy Awards. He has won multiple MTV Video Music Awards and Billboard Music Awards. In 2019, he was named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People.