KEY POINTS:
Two Hastings kayakers spent the night out in the open after one of them lost his kayak in a rain-swollen river, police said.
The men, aged 38 and 15, both experienced and very well prepared, were forced to take refuge at a camp site when one of them fell out of his boat on the Ngaruroro River, near the Napier-Taupo road.
They started their trip about 9am at Kuripapango on Saturday, expecting to take about six hours. The father of one of them rang police when they did not arrive home last night, said Senior Sergeant Dean Goodall of Napier police.
The Lowe-Walker rescue helicopter was unable to search last night because of the weather, but found them about 8.15am today.
"They were very experienced, but there was no way they could make it down the river with one kayak with the water conditions, so they did the right thing and waited to be helped," Mr Goodall said.
"The one who tipped out told me it was a bit higher than they were expecting, so it was certainly pretty adventurous of them."
- NZPA
