18 -21 August 2026
Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC)
2026 Conference Program
Keynote | The Franklin River rescue: collaborative leadership, rigorous training and absolute trust in Tasmania’s wilderness
20 Aug 2026
Joint Sessions
In November 2024, an expert Lithuanian rafter became entrapped in swiftly moving water in one of the wildest and most remote rivers of the world. The rescue effort quickly escalated in scale and complexity to become one of the most complicated and challenging in Tasmania’s history. Hundreds of people and many agencies worked together to get Valdas Bieliauskas out alive before the river levels rose or hypothermia claimed his life. Over 20 hours later the only remaining option involved an underwater amputation and a race against the clock to extract a critically unwell man in cardiac arrest from one of the remotest corners of the planet. A story about the Valdas, the rescue, the people, the teamwork and what could possibly go wrong?