Skipper escapes after barge flips

The skipper of a farm barge escaped unscathed but cold after his vessel flipped in Lake Wakatipu yesterday.

Cecil Peak Station farm manager Philip Rive was about 500m from shore and a kilometre from home when his load shifted and the barge overturned, briefly trapping him in the wheelhouse, The Otago Daily Times reported.

He managed to escape through the only door and climb on to the vessel's hull.

"It all happened pretty quick," he said. Within five minutes he was rescued by a passing helicopter.

The barge was towed - upside down - to shore, but a tractor it was carrying remains at the bottom of the lake.

The 20m-long vessel is used as an essential transport link for the station, which has no road access to Queenstown.

Mr Rive said he planned to right the barge today.

Queenstown Lakes district harbourmaster Marty Black will report the incident to Maritime New Zealand which will then decide whether it will investigate the cause.

- NZPA