Three men rescued after going missing in river rafting trip on Waikaia River, Southland

Three men were located on the edge of Southland's Waikaia River after going missing while river rafting. Photo / Police

Three men have been rescued after being reported missing while rafting on the Waikaia River near Piano Flat, Southland.

Police said they were alerted about 9.30pm yesterday that the men had not reached their designated pick-up point after a planned river trip.

After making initial inquiries overnight, police Search and Rescue teams began the search at first light this morning.

Southern Lakes Helicopters Te Anau provided a helicopter to assist in the search. The aircraft located two inflatable watercraft in a gorge section of the river about 6.5km north of Piano Flat.

At around 11.30am, one of the men was sighted by the helicopter near the river’s edge with a leg injury. The other two men were located nearby a short time later, cold but otherwise uninjured.

The trio were winched from the river to safety by the helicopter and were medically assessed. The man with the leg injury was transported to hospital by ambulance.

“Police would like to thank Land Search and Rescue volunteers from Southland, Eastern Southland, Catlins and Fiordland, alongside Amateur Radio Emergency Communications,” a police statement said.

“Police would like to thank Fire and Emergency New Zealand for providing a command truck for a forward search base at Piano Flat. We would also like to thank the public, who provided vital information about the area and terrain.”

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