Marty BlackQueenstown's harbourmaster says it was "sheer luck" the cries of a Belgian tramper swept away while trying to cross a river were heard. The 26-year-old was plucked from Lake Wakatipu after attempting to walk across the river delta between Glenorchy and Kinloch today. "He was drifting down the lake hanging on to his backpack and looking very sorry for himself," Mr Glover said. "Another 15-20 minutes and he would've been in serious trouble," Mr Glover said. Mr Glover had rescued several people in a similar predicament over the years, including people tipped out of kayaks, fishermen, and windsurfers with broken gear.

Source: Otago Daily Times August 29, 2017 06:11 UTC