A desperate plea by 15 bystanders for passing jetboats to rescue a 30-year-old man struggling for his life in the chilly waters of the Hokitika Gorge yesterday were ignored by the boaties, who were apparently oblivious to the danger.
The man was eventually rescued by a police search and rescue whitewater kayak team.
A witness said a pair of jetboats in the river "ignored" pleas from bystanders to help the drowning man.
"It was pretty rude -- there was about 15 people up on the rocks waving at them," one witness said.
Earlier she saw the man jump from the bridge after egging on his three friends to do the same.
"The one that got into trouble was the one that dared them to do it," she said.
Sergeant Andrew Lyes, of Hokitika police, said the rescued 30-year-old British man was currently living in Christchurch where he was working on the rebuild.
It appeared he and his mates got past $88,000 worth of work completed by the Department of Conservation only last month to discourage people from getting too close to the river.
Mr Lyes said the swimmer "ran out of puff" and was stranded on a ledge at the water's edge under a rocky overhang below the swingbridge.
"He was one of a party of four that jumped in. They all sort of struggled a bit, but he struggled the most."
Police mobilised a two-man police search and rescue whitewater raft crew at 12.30pm when it became clear the man could not be lifted from his position by rescue helicopter, due to the lack of clearance in the narrow gorge.
The man was stuck on the shaded side of the river and was "basically cold" but well following his rescue, Mr Lyes said.
An estimated 40,000 people visit the scenic gorge each year.
Last month DOC completed a second viewing platform as part of an $88,000 upgrade to both improve the visitor experience and to discourage access to the rocky bluff above the gorge where the track used to end.
