Jet boat recovered by Whanganui Coastguard after drifting down from Jerusalem

Whanganui coastguard recovered a jet boat they believed to have drifted down the river from Jerusalem on Monday morning. Photo / Bevan Conley.

A jet boat has been reunited with its happy owner after drifting down the Whanganui river on Sunday night.

Coastguard Wanganui president Gary Hawkins said the boat drifted from Jerusalem, and was found against one of the groynes near Whanganui Airport.

The police said they received a report of a boat floating down the river just before 6pm on Sunday.

Hawkins said police told the coastguard about the boat, which was then near Kaiwhaiki.

He said the coastguard searched the river, but they were unable to find the boat in the dark.

"It may have been under a tree, for example," Hawkins said.

A member of the public then told the coastguard they had seen the boat in the lower reaches of the river just after 10am.

Hawkins said the coastguard towed it to the Wharf St boat ramp, where it was reunited with its owner.