A video has captured a kayaker and a jet boat narrowly avoiding a collision at Huka Falls.
Experienced kayaker Dan Munroe, 28, said he braced for impact as he came over the eddy, but the Hukafalls Jet Taupō boat saw him at the last second and was able to swerve.
Munroe said the river was flowing about 67 cumecs and, although it was not a common spot to paddle, it was safe to do so anywhere under 80 cumecs.
On his fourth lap, Munroe bypassed the eddy below the bridge and proceeded straight down.
“It was only then that I heard the jetboats and like tried to spin round, tried to look for somewhere to go, but there’s not really anywhere to avoid it.
“I was just hoping that they had seen me. But I don’t think he had until the last kind of second. So yeah, I was kind of bracing for impact, but it all worked out in the end.”
He said he praised the skipper for his quick actions, which might have saved Munroe from ending up beneath the boat.
“He pulled away like at the last second, so we actually didn’t even collide in the end. I think he would have seen me like, with maybe half a second to react, so he did pretty well.”
Munroe said it was not typically an obstacle they looked out for when paddling the area, and put no blame on the jetboat skipper, who had a talk with them afterwards.
“I am normally just thinking about kind of like the water and rocks and things like that, like getting in your way, rather than you getting in the way of other things, just because it’s not common.
“We’re not generally paddling where they’re jetboating, and they’re not normally jetboating where we’re paddling.
“It’s just that’s a unique spot where we want to be is exactly where they want to be.”
Munroe said it would not deter him from any future paddling adventures.
“It’s kind of a freak accident. They’re generally not right there and we’re generally not right there as well.”
He was given the video by an onlooker after he returned to shore.
After sharing the footage online and looking at other posts of the incident, he said there were some mixed reactions.
“The young lads think it’s pretty sick, people like my mum’s age thought it was pretty bad.”
Hukafalls Jet Taupō business manager Simon Thew confirmed to the Herald there was no collision, and they’re “very pleased” no one was hurt.
“Our driver immediately stopped to check the kayaker’s safety,” he said.
“While our boats are licensed to operate in this area, we’re taking extra precautions. Our drivers will maintain a wider berth from the falls, and we’re working with the Harbourmaster to install new signage alerting kayakers to commercial jet boat activity.
“For everyone’s safety, we encourage kayakers to contact our reservations team before heading down the falls into this part of the river.”