Wanganui Coastguard, St John Ambulance and a local helicopter were called to help rescue a woman clinging to a log on the rain-swollen Whanganui River.
Police Sergeant Colin Wright, who is also search and rescue co-ordinator, said it appeared the woman had somehow got caught up in the rapidly flowing current in the river from Mosquito Point in Papaiti.
Family members and members of the public frantically scrambled downstream on the riverbank, desperate not to lose sight of her. Recreational boats also rallied to assist in the rescue effort.
Police were called about 6.30pm on Monday and told a woman was being swept down river, clinging to a log, in upper Aramoho.
"I had finished my shift at 5.30pm and was at home when I got the call, but the situation was resolved before I had time to get to the scene," Mr Wright said.
"The woman had somehow got caught up in the strong current and was fortunately able to cling to a log. I understand it was the woman's daughter who called police, and emergency crews were immediately dispatched.
"I'm not sure at this stage how she entered the water, but within 20 or 25 minutes rescuers managed to get her aboard one of several boats in the area. She was taken ashore at the Top 10 Holiday Park in upper Aramoho and taken by ambulance to hospital for treatment."
Top 10 Holiday Park staff member Carmen Reichstei said she did not know how the woman came to be in the water, but she had looked cold and shaken when walked ashore by rescuers.
"I talked briefly to her husband or partner, I'm not sure which, while she was still in the water and he was extremely upset and shaken. There were also about four young children in the party and I'm not sure if they were the woman's children or not," Ms Reichstei said yesterday.
"There were [recreational] boats on the river at the time and they began searching even before Coastguard got there. A helicopter also arrived, but after the woman had been rescued."
Ngaire Smith witnessed the drama unfold from the Wanganui East side of the river and took photographs.
"We were driving along the Wanganui East side and saw something happening on the river. It didn't look good," Ms Smith said.
"We could see people scrambling along the other bank trying to follow the woman's progress. We could see all three or four boats in the water and then we saw them all come back toward shore together and guessed they had found what they were looking for. The woman was extremely lucky. The river was swollen and flowing very quickly after all that rain over the weekend."
A Wanganui Hospital spokesperson confirmed the woman was treated and discharged on Monday night.