NZ jet skiers rescued

An eventful adventure ends in rough waters. Photo / Supplied

Two New Zealand jet skiers who were forced to abandon a charity mission because of piracy fears have been rescued from Greek waters by a military helicopter after capsizing in stormy seas.

Professional hiker Travis Donoghue, 23, Auckland pilot Jeremy Burfoot, 51, and Croatian world record jet skier Ivan Otulic, 29, set off on a 32,000km jet ski journey from London to New Zealand on August 1 to raise cancer awareness.

The Jayco Ultimate Ride was called off last week after Foreign Affairs in New Zealand warned the trio they could be attacked by pirates or terrorists off Yemen.

"We would be a prime target," Burfoot said. "We all have families and it would be unfair to put their futures at risk for an adventure, even with such a good cause."

The men attempted to continue their ride to Otulic's home in Croatia where they would drop off the jet skis, but were faced with 4m waves and 60-70km/h winds in the Aegean Sea.

Burfoot said their Seadoos - a brand of jet ski adapted for the adventure - couldn't cope with the rough seas.

"The machines were slowly taking on water. The auxiliary bilge pumps failed because of the extreme conditions," he said.

They set off two warning beacons to alert their base in New Zealand, and people there contacted the water police in Greece.

"Without the proper equipment it could have been much more dangerous and we could still be out there," Donoghue said.

He said they had three hours at sea worrying what their loved ones in New Zealand had heard. "Knowing that they would be worrying was worse than the reality of our situation.

"It was when the seas were rough that I started thinking jet skis are a really mental choice of transport.

"It's very physical riding, it's tough on your body and there is no real worry about the impact on the machines until they start going poorly."

They were pulled from the water by a Greek Air Force helicopter with minor cuts, bruises and sunburn.

Donoghue said they were shaken up but celebrated their survival by "having a few beers and calling home".

The adventure was never a smooth ride for the trio, who had their jet skis stolen and later recovered by Bulgarian police 10 days into the trip. Fuel leaks also hindered the experience.