River plunge survivor: My crash horror

A Wanganui woman who came to in a river bed after her 4WD slid off the road, plummeting 100m down a steep bush-clad ravine, said yesterday the accident felt like a bizarre and surreal dream.

Stella McQueen said she and passenger Natasha Petrove, both Department of Conservation freshwater fish rangers, had been extremely lucky to survive.

Their 4WD skidded off a gravel road in the Ruatiti Valley, near Raetihi, after Ms McQueen slowed down and pulled over for an oncoming car to pass.

"We just kind of fell over and started falling down the cliff. It was like we were in slow motion. I remember thinking 'Oh look, we're on our side now' - then suddenly we went down faster and faster.

"I came to in the water ... the car was on its side ... I felt Natasha slide a rock under my head to keep it out of the water, which was so lovely of her."

The two women were taken to Wanganui Hospital by the Palmerston North rescue helicopter.

Ms McQueen, 32, was suffering from concussion, bruising and cuts, while Miss Petrove, 26, suffered cuts and bruises.

At home now in Wanganui being cared for by her mother, Ms McQueen said she was feeling "bashed up" and taking painkillers but she knew how fortunate they were.

Sensitive to light and noise, she was able to muster a giggle as she recalled her phone call to her mother from the hospital on Friday.

"Well I started by saying what a fantastic time we'd had, that we'd seen kiwi and blue ducks and we'd had such a good time, but anyway when we were driving home we went over a bank and now I'm in Wanganui Hospital ..."

Jo McQueen faced the prospect of having two daughters in hospital, having dropped off her second daughter at Wanganui Hospital that morning for day surgery.

"I rushed back to the hospital and literally didn't know which way to go. One daughter was in recovery and the other was in A and E ... it was a very strange feeling, I can tell you,"she said.

Waimarino Constable Bruce Francis said the driver of the oncoming vehicle and a DoC officer from Pipiriki, who arrived moments later, went to help the two women.

They used a long tow strop to help in their descent through dense foliage.

Mr Francis said Ms McQueen was partially trapped, with her upper body in the water.

"The swift actions of the two rescuers have no doubt prevented the injuries becoming more serious."

St John Ambulance and two rescue teams from the Raetihi and Ohakune fire brigades assisted in the recovery.

The rescue helicopter winched the women out of the ravine and later transferred them to Wanganui Hospital for assessment.