KEY POINTS:
A woman got into trouble last night when she was deserted by friends while floating down Waikato River on a cheap inflatable raft.
The 38-year-old woman was rescued from the Waikato River early this morning after getting into difficulty when she set off down the river with a group of friends at 5pm yesterday.
The group had been heading down the river to Reid's Farm - a camping ground on Huka Falls Road.
Taupo Police constable Gavin Mackay said the woman, who lived locally, had got in to trouble because she did not have a paddle and was deserted by her friends.
She had taken refuge on a river bank below a steep cliff and yelled for help.
The woman's cries for help were heard by a woman living nearby just before 2am and the Lion Foundation Rescue Helicopter rescued her just after 4am a short distance below the Taupo bungy.
The woman was taken to Taupo Hospital with mild hypothermia - she was wearing only a bikini - and a cut to her leg.
- NZPA
