South Island jetskier sucked under dam

A novice jetskier's near-fatal brush with an Otago dam has prompted a warning from Queenstown Lakes harbourmaster.

The man, in his mid-30s and wearing safety gear, was jet skiing near the Kawarau River dam at the outlet to Lake Wakatipu, when he lost control and got sucked under the dam yesterday afternoon, harbourmaster Marty Black told the Otago Daily Times.

The man, who managed to hang onto his machine, was spotted by a nearby resident who called police.

Police then contacted a local jetboat company to pull the man out of the water.

"The dam is very dangerous. There's a message there. Don't go under or near the dam unless you know what you're doing," Mr Black said.

- NZPA