Boy survives river accident

A major rescue operation was launched yesterday after a teenager was swept away in the Hutt river.

But the 13-year-old boy, who disappeared near the Kennedy Good Bridge, Lower Hutt, met his would-be rescuers when walking back along the riverbank to find his friends about half and hour later.

The boy was unhurt, Lower Hutt police said.

"After the amount of rainfall the region has experienced over the last 48 hours, police ask people take care and assess the possible risks before getting into the water," Acting Senior Sergeant Braydon Lenihan said.

- NZPA