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A jetboater got into trouble at Kawarau Gorge today. - Source: Max Bania
A man was lucky to escape injury after his jetboat ran into difficulty at Kawarau Gorge, near Queenstown, today, police say.
It is believed the man was on a private ride with other jetboaters along the fast-moving Kawarau River when the incident happened several kilometres south of the bungy bridge. There was no one else on board.
Another boat raised the alarm and the man was able to navigate into a small cove and scramble onto a rock ledge.
Strong wind gusts prevented a helicopter from reaching the man, so a rescue crew had to scramble down a steep 100-metre bank to reach the man and help him back up the bank to safety. His boat remained moored to the rocks.
Police say the man was extremely lucky to make it to shore where he did, as the gorge has long been a graveyard for jetboats.