Man with badly fractured leg after water incident on Kaituna River

A man has suffered a badly fractured leg after a jet ski incident on the Kaituna River near Maketū.

Maketū coastguard Shane Beach said the man had been out fishing on his jet ski and as he was coming in, an incident had caused the jet ski to flip, throwing him off.

People fishing nearby raised the alarm, but the man was drifting too far out and they could not get to him, he said.

By the time the Eastpack Rescue crew arrived, the man had drifted several hundred metres, however they were able to retrieve him and identify his injury.

A police spokeswoman said the incident happened at about 1.45pm off Ford Rd, near the Kaituna cut reserve.

She said the person had been located and retrieved by the coastguard and was being treated.

A St John's spokeswoman said a person was transported with moderate injuries to Tauranga Hospital's Emergency Department.