20 Jan 2012

Teens rescued from Otaki River

10:53 pm on 20 January 2012

A search team has rescued four teenagers from the banks of Otaki River on the Kapiti Coast.

The group ran into trouble on Friday while on a two-day tramping and tubing trip, however a fifth member of the group managed to tube to safety and raise the alarm.

The team on the Westpac Rescue Helicopter searching for the group above the Otaki Forks area spotted three of the missing teenagers, aged 18 and 19, on the riverbank just after 7pm.

They were flown to the picnic area at Otaki Forks where friends, family and rescue personnel were waiting.

The helicopter then resumed the search and the crew found the fourth missing teen suffering from hypothermia and low blood sugar.

The 18-year-old was considered to be in a serious condition but improved on the way to Wellington Hospital's Emergency Department, where he was being assessed on Friday night.