A white-water rafting guide airlifted to hospital after his inflatable craft flipped on the Rangitikei River east of Taihape is back at his adventure tourism lodge, nursing broken ribs.
The Palmerston North-based rescue helicopter flew the experienced guide, a United States national in his 30s, to Whanganui Hospital on Friday afternoon after the spill on a rapid near River Valley Lodge.
Lodge managing director Brian Megaw said the medical flight was simply to ensure the guide, one of eight on his payroll, had not suffered internal injuries after hitting a rock.
He returned to the lodge the same day, but was likely to be off work for a week or two, and was recovering in a spa pool when the Herald called.
"He cracked a couple of ribs - that's the whole story, beginning and end," Mr Megaw said.