The Palmerston North Rescue Helicopter was dispatched the Whanganui River around 1:30am on Saturday 30 December, to assist Police in a search for a man who did not return from jet skiing up the river earlier in the day.
After searching the river using Night Vision Goggles and the helicopters Night Sun search light, the man was located on the river north of Kaiwhaiki on his jet ski paddling south.
He was able to be guided to a point downstream of his location using the search light where he was retrieved to shore. He was uninjured but his jet ski had malfunctioned.
He was airlifted to Whanganui.